


Return Of The Great Power: Book 2 - Revelations

by pink_green_white_4ever



Series: Return Of The Great Power [2]
Category: Power Rangers
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-25
Updated: 2012-08-25
Packaged: 2017-11-12 21:21:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 62,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/495774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pink_green_white_4ever/pseuds/pink_green_white_4ever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With their mission laid out before them thanks to Ninjor, the Rangers are learning to adjust. Each of them are making their way back from the corners of the Earth they scattered to, to gather at home. However, shocking revelations are on the horizon that could splinter them all over again.</p><p>The gang's families get pulled into the fight thanks to a not-so-secret secret coming out. An old friend from High School meets up with the team and brings a new friend and ally along for the ride while a visit to the Reservation to meet Sam and David Trueheart sparks some whirlwind news and the death of an old foe. Ivan decides to get personal and causes an already injured Ranger more grief than she might be able to take, and added to an already tenuous situation, a visit from Trey brings stunning news that could mean the end of a couple already on the ropes.</p><p>First steps are taken in some relationships, and some couples come to an understanding. Pain shared is pain halved, right? Not necessarily. Our heroes have to struggle now to discover the truth in a mess of half truths and lies. And the forces of evil learn not to underestimate even the weakest of opponents.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Empire Of Evil

Return Of The Great Power  
Book 2 - Revelations  
Prologue: Empire Of Evil  
By: Pink_Green_White_4ever  
Last Revised: March 1, 2005

"Difficult times come to test the essence of true love." ~~ Unknown

**

July 1995  
Angel Grove, California, USA  
Continent of North America  
Earth

**

A large being, shadowed in blackness, moved quietly through the deserted construction site. Past rock piles, past piles of dirt, past equipment quiet for the night, the being moved with one purpose - to do it's master's bidding.

Only days before, one of the greatest evils of all time had been released by Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa; an evil that had been encased in silence for six thousand years by Zordon of Eltar's warrior children.

Less than two days ago, another group of the Eltarian's child warriors had destroyed the famed Ivan Ooze, using a comet passing by Earth.

Even though Earth's famed Power Rangers had secured the construction site, there were still flaws in the security of Ivan's hyperlock chamber, which was all that remained of the master villain.

Chuckling to itself, the dark being came upon the still opened chamber. Reaching out, one gloved hand, holding what looked like a test tube, dipped into what was left of the infamous Ivan Ooze, filling the tube with the sticky, slimy, glowing purple substance. Once the tube was filled, the shadow capped it then disappeared in a black cloud of power, evil laughter filling the silent construction site.

~~

"My lord, the deed is done."

"Good Shadow Assassin," the voice hissed over the communications channel that was open. "Bring it to me."

"My lord, if I may be so bold, what do you plan to do with a sample of Ivan's ooze?" Shadow Assassin asked.

"You shall see, my general, you shall see."

**

July 1998  
Vica Galaxy

**

The same being who had collected the sample of Ivan Ooze for its master stood staring at the barren landscape that was a planet in the Vica Galaxy, where some time before, a mighty battle had raged, one involving evils from all around the galaxy, the known universe. Here had been were many of the most notoriously known members of the once mighty Empire of Evil had been wiped out when Andros, the Red Space Ranger, had been forced to take Zordon of Eltar's life aboard Dark Specter's ship, supposedly to wipe out all evil in the universe. It didn't work exactly as planned.

Pockets of those dedicated to evil had remained, but here, the being's master had lost several important warriors - both of his children, his son in law, and their minions.

Upon closer inspection of the ground, the being found what it was looking for. Among the dust and debris that had settled on the surface, it found a pile of ash. Taking a container, much like it had with Ivan, the being scooped some of the ash up. Carefully, it placed a lid on the container, and then it disappeared for a second time in a cloud of dark power.

~~

"Report."

"I have collected what you sent me for, my Lord."

"Good, bring it to me.

**

December 31, 1999  
Angel Grove, California, USA  
Continent of North America  
Earth

**

"Let us go!" a woman screamed in horror as a dark being chained her up to the unconscious form of her husband. They'd been at the beach, celebrating New Year's Eve quietly, just the two of them.

The being laughed at the woman before it. "I'm afraid that's not possible, Mistress," the being informed her. She stood staring up at it, terrified of it, and pondering silently why it would call her Mistress. "My master requests your presence, and that of your husband. Soon, you will come back to your senses." So saying, the trio disappeared in a cloud of power.

**

December 31, 1999  
Deep In Space  
A Mysterious Planet

**

"Who are you!" the man screamed at the large hulking shape standing in the doorway to the darkened room. His wife was huddling in a ball behind him, not wanting to see the darkened figure.

"You would not believe me if I told you, but you will find out soon enough." Turning with a sweep of its cape, the figure stepped back out through the door, closing it with a solid thud behind him.

Sitting back in the dark, the man and woman huddled together, wondering just what was going on. "I don't like this," she whispered.

"Neither do I, but we have no other choice to face what's happening to us," the man spoke sadly, both of them suddenly accepting that there was no escape.

~~

The large form moved slowly through the semi-lit hallways, purpose showing in every step from the dungeons to the high tower where what looked like a huge chemistry set was set up. Beyond the scientific gadgets, sat a ball of blackest crystal. The figure moved toward the crystal, a low humming flowing from its mouth. The ball lit with power as the figure approached it, then flared brightly as the contents of the container in the figure's hands were poured over it.

Lightning and thunder rumbled in the sky outside the large, black castle. Inside the tower room, the dark figure laughed evilly as four figures stood, bewildered, and staring at the figure in confusion.

"Welcome back," the figure greeted as the torches in the room blazed brightly, revealing its identity.

"My lord," the only woman of the four figures spoke, breathing deeply when she gazed upon the darkened figure in front of them.

"Scorpina, Goldar, Mordent, Rito."

"Master Vile," Goldar said, causing the figure to nod.

"POP!" Rito grinned like a fool, while Mordent and Scorpina shook their heads.

"Come, we have much to do, and a small amount of time to do it in," Master Vile hissed as the group of five moved from the tower to the bowels of the castle.

~~

"Who are they, my Lord?" Scorpina asked as the group of five entered the darkened dungeon.

"They WERE my daughter, Rita Repulsa, and my good for nothing son in law, Lord Zedd," the large figure spoke, looming over the pair huddling in the corner. "Goldar, Scorpina, escort them to the main throne room. Rito, Mordent, you're with me."

The trio left, while Goldar and Scorpina towered over their former master and mistress. "You know, they don't look so imposing now," Scorpina cracked.

"Just wait, our Lord will take care of that. Come, you simpletons," Goldar growled, reaching down and hauling the man to his feet while Scorpina pulled the woman up by the arm.

When the two Titans dragged the hysterical humans into the throne room, there were several others present, including Rito, Mordent, the one named Shadow Assassin, Master Vile, and two walking tin cans, in Goldar's opinion, that were none other than the newly resurrected King Mondo and Queen Machina. "Who are they?" Scorpina asked softly, watching Goldar roll his eyes.

"King Mondo and Queen Machina," Rito introduced them to Scorpina. "King, Queen, this is Scorpina, Rita's bodyguard, a skilled warrior and a master of magic."

Mondo and Machina looked at Rito and rolled their eyes. "And here I thought the Zeo Rangers had destroyed the Machine Empire and it's Monarchy," Goldar hissed.

"Your Master Vile has put us back together, Monkey Brains," Mondo hissed back.

"Enough. After our work here is done, we still have three more members to retrieve before we're whole," Master Vile informed them. He held up his staff, pointing the end at the two cowering humans. No words were spoken as a large, gold and silver bolt streaked from the staff and zapped the former villains.

The two humans screamed, and then a poof of smoke covered them. When the room cleared, Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd sat cowering on the floor, until the realized what had happened. "Daddy?" Rita screeched in question, making Zedd cover his ears.

"Get off the floor, Daughter," Master Vile commanded, causing Rita and Zedd to stand before the others.

"YOU!" Zedd hollered upon catching sight of Mondo.

"Right back at you, you pathetic excuse for a wizard," Mondo laughed.

"Enough, both of you," Master Vile commanded again, silencing the group. "Come, we still have much to do."

**

Location Unknown  
July 1, 2000

**

Panic was the first thing that came to mind. Then pain. Finally darkness over took her senses.

When she woke up, her senses were muddled beyond belief, and her memory was fuzzy. "Where am I?"

"Welcome to my home, Divatox."

Turning her head slightly, the young woman with long auburn hair, dressed in a sheer white gown, stared in shock at the assembled group before her. There was a woman dressed in gold armor, a giant pig, a gold plated monkey, a walking skeleton, a man made of metal and muscle, a woman in the ugliest outfit she'd ever seen, two robots - one male, one female, and finally a great hulking thing that looked like a giant snake. "Who are you?"

"It should not concern you to know who I am, what you should be concerned about is who you are," the snake like figure, none other than Master Vile himself, growled.

"I don't understand!" Rita happily laughed in her screeching, nails on a chalkboard, sounding voice.

The woman in white gasped in shock as Master Vile raised his staff, chanted something softly, and poured his power into her. Within seconds, an array of memories long forgotten exploded in her mind, leaving her gasping in helpless shock. "Who are you?" Master Vile question when the smoke from his spell had cleared.

The woman stood, this time dressed in a gold plated corset, red leather skirt, thigh high black boots and a red cape, with a mask covering half her face and her hair pulled into a ponytail and died half purple, and laughed her ass off. "I'm Divatox, the toxic diva," Divatox laughed evilly, adding a bit of seduction to her voice. "And you would be Rita and Rito's all power daddy-kins, Master Vile."

Master Vile smiled. "Welcome back, Divatox. Now, about your marriage to Maligore."

**

June 10, 2001  
Maligore's Temple  
Island of Murianthias  
Nemesis Triangle

"I thought the Turbo Geeks destroyed the Great Flame of Destruction?" Elgar questioned. He was still slightly confused. Master Vile had brought him, Porto, and Rygog back shortly after bringing back Divatox, and for nearly a year they'd been working on how to get through the Nemesis Triangle and to the Island of Murianthias where Maligore had been raised.

"Shut up you buffoon!" Divatox hissed. "Master Vile has it all worked out. Just be quiet and do what he says."

Master Vile shot Elgar and Divatox a look, which shut them both up, before he raised his staff to the pit of lava where Maligore was to be roused from his sleep. "I call thee forth, Flame of Destruction! I bid thee awaken, Maligore the Lava Monster! AWAKEN!"

A rumbling was heard, followed by a trembling of the island. Before anyone had a moment to blink one, slimy, lava covered, clawed hand emerged from the pit. Seconds later, Maligore pulled himself from his resting place, dripping with lava and glaring at the assembled group.

"Who disturbs my slumber!" he roared.

"I do!" Master Vile returned, watching as Maligore glared at him.

The volcanic monster sneered. "It has been a very long time, Master Vile."

"Indeed it has. We seek you assistance, will you help us?"

"I have conditions," Maligore spat.

Master Vile smiled. "And they will be met. Come, we must leave. The last part of my plan is only days away from completion." That said, the group moved from the temple to the forest and then to Master Vile's ship.


	2. Chapter 1: Back In Action

Return Of The Great Power  
Book 2 - Revelations  
Chapter 1: Back In Action  
By: Pink_Green_White_4ever  
Last Revised: October 2, 2004

"I never knew what love was until I met you, then when distance pulled us apart, I found out what true love is." ~~ Unknown ~~

~~

4:15 P.M.  
Tuesday  
July 2, 2002  
Angel Grove Airport  
Domestic Arrivals  
Gate A14

Tap. Tap Tap. Tap. Tap Tap Tap.

"Would you stop that, please?"

Aisha rolled her eyes and Justin grinned, the younger Ranger continuing to tap his shoes on the tiled floor in front of him. Tommy hadn't been in a very good mood for the last few days, in fact he hadn't been in a good mood since he'd put Kimberly on the plane nearly ten days ago so she could go back to Florida and pack her things up before returning to Angel Grove.

Jason, Trini, Zack, and Katherine had left the same day as their Pink Ranger. Trini and Zack had driven to their apartment in Seattle and rented a truck, then had driven back down and settled into a rental house that they had decided share. All of their things were still in boxes from their previous move, so loading the truck and coming back wasn't the least bit stressful. During one of their conversations with Katherine before leaving, the pair agreed to share the house with her.

Jason's things had already been packed for his hoped-for return to Angel Grove for nearly a month. The extent of his trip consisted of shipping boxes, turning in his keys to his apartment, and selling his car - all of which he'd gotten accomplished in four days.

Katherine's move back seemed to be taking longer. She had classes to attend and to teach in London, as well as seeing to a transfer to the Angel Grove International Dance Academy and Performing Arts School, not to mention packing her apartment up and shipping her boxes back. The team expected their Orange Ranger back sometime the following week.

And then there was Kimberly. Aisha had seen Kimberly's apartment before, and had informed the others it might take her just as long as Kat to get packed up and moved back. However, Kim had surprised the team, especially Aisha. She'd called home her third day in Florida and had informed the team of her expected return to Angel Grove before the Fourth of July holiday. She'd mentioned something about some help packing from her teammates and students at Coach Schmidt's academy where she taught and practiced.

"Tommy, relax," Aisha, muttered, picking up her magazine again. She and Kimberly had picked up a box full of fashion and interior design magazines before Kimberly had left, because according to Kim, they were going to decorate their rooms at the Base in a professional manner, and they needed to catch up on some of the latest fashion trends. Aisha laughed to herself; it was nice to know some things hadn't changed even though they'd grown up.

"What time was her plane supposed to get here?" Justin asked, shifting his eyes from the back of Tommy's head to Aisha's face.

"Originally, quarter after three. It's been changed to four-thirty," Aisha responded with a smile. "The plane was delayed an hour in Dallas because of technical problems at the gate."

Justin nodded and then pulled out his Game Boy. Billy had created a game for him, using the gaming device, which allowed him to train for combat situations. The characters in the game were his teammates and himself. He got a kick out of playing Jason, Tommy and Rocky, as well as the others, and going against the creatures the earlier teams had faced. "It'll be nice to have Kim home, then we'll only have to worry about Kat coming back."

Aisha laughed. She was about to say something when a voice came over the loud speaker. "Flight 214 from Dallas arriving at Gate A14."

Justin grinned then tossed his game back into his backpack then placed the magazine Aisha handed him, in it as well. The pair stood and then made their way to Tommy before moving to stand at the front of the gateway where Kimberly would be disembarking.

Ten minutes later, nearly the entire plane had gotten off when the trio heard their names being shouted. "TOMMY! SHA! JUSTIN!"

Tommy grunted when one hundred and fifteen pounds of Kimberly barreled into his arms, her momentum spinning them around. He buried his face in her neck as he held her close to him, savoring the feel of her in his arms. "Welcome home, Beautiful," Tommy smiled as Kim pulled back and then looked up at him with that brilliant smile he loved so much.

"It's good to be home," Kim laughed, leaning up and pecking a kiss to his lips.

Aisha rolled her eyes and pushed Tommy aside so she could hug her best friend. After the two women embraced, Justin moved in and wrapped his arms around Kim. "Welcome home," Justin whispered with a smile. He'd grown extremely close to the first three female Rangers, particularly Kimberly, since the team had been reunited.

"Tommy, I hate to say this, but can we go get some food? I'm starved!" Kim complained as Aisha took Kim's backpack and small suitcase and Tommy pulled the pouting brunette back into his arms, leading the group down to the baggage claim to get the two bags Kim had brought with her that had been checked. "Airplane food is something I wouldn't even feed to Goldar." Aisha and Justin grimaced at the sound of that, then laughed.

"We'll go drop your stuff off, grab the others, and get something to eat, promise," Tommy laughed as the group got off the escalator and wandered over to the carousel where Kim's bags would be coming in on.

Justin and Tommy stepped forward and grabbed the two duffel bags when Kim pointed them out. "Dang Kim, how'd you carry these at the airport?" Justin asked as he and Tommy hefted the two bags. "It feels like you packed bricks in here!"

"I had help from Ronnie," Kim grinned, then saw Tommy's face, as the quartet made their way out of the airport and into the parking garage. "He was one of my teammates from Pan Globals, as well as one of my fellow coaches. And Tommy, you can stop thinking that, he has a preference for men."

Tommy blinked while Aisha and Justin laughed at their gawking leader. Kim always did know how to leave him speechless. "Wow!" Kim chirped a few minutes later when Justin stopped at the back of a brand-spanking-new, white Lincoln Navigator.

"You like my retirement toy from Uncle John?"

"Retirement?" Kim asked, looking up into Tommy's face. "From racing?"

Tommy nodded, hoisting the four bags into the back of his truck with Justin's help. "Ever since the accident, my eyes haven't been the same. There's no way I can race again. Plus, I have school to think about now, as well as another 'tour of duty'."

Kimberly was silent as Justin helped her into the front seat then climbed in the backseat behind her. When Tommy got in the driver's side, Kim leaned over and cradled his face in her hands. She'd heard all about the racing accident, during the Stone Canyon 800, which had happened six months ago. The accident had nearly taken, not only Tommy's sight, but his life as well. It was a miracle that he'd survived. "Kim, it's ok," Tommy murmured, rubbing his cheek against her palm, trying to reassure her, and secretly, himself. His confidence had been badly shaken after that accident. Even though all outward appearances from him, then, had been indifferent as far as Kim was concerned, inside he had known the only person who could help rebuild that confidence had been a world away. Now, however, she was back where she belonged, and Tommy felt his old self returning, slowly but surely.

Tommy also knew Aisha had told her about the accident, and knew Kim had probably heard about it the day it had happened because it had been broadcast on some of the national networks. Knowing his Kimberly - he grinned at the thought of being able to call Kim his again - she was still worried sick about him even though he'd recovered. "So I'm stuck wearing glasses for the rest of my life, no big deal."

Tommy could see the tears building in her eyes, so he leaned forward and kissed her softly. "Come on, let's head home."

"Where's Kim staying?" Aisha asked, leaning forward, toward the back of Tommy's seat as he pulled out of the parking garage and through the tollbooths, then onto the freeway.

"She's gonna stay with us!" Justin laughed, watching Kim's head sharply turn from the window, where she was gazing out at downtown Angel Grove, to Tommy's face.

Tommy chuckled at the look his girlfriend was giving him. "Billy got a big bonus from his dad about a week ago for bringing in five new clients to his research facility, so our Blue Ranger took the money and purchased a new house out in Angel Hills," Tommy told them, watching Justin grin from ear to ear in the backseat. "He invited me and Jason to live with him, at least until this mess is all over with. Justin is staying with us for the remainder of the summer."

"What about Trini, Zack and Kat?" Kim asked. "And you, Aisha?"

"I'll be bunking with Rocky or Adam and Tanya until I find an apartment."

Tommy nodded, then pulled off the freeway and onto the main road leading into one of Angel Grove's newest gated neighborhoods, Angel Hills. "Kat, Trini and Zack have rented a house out near the beach. Billy said you could stay with us if you like, until you decide what you want to do."

Kim smiled and blushed. "Where am I sleeping?"

"In Tommy's room!" Justin quipped, watching Kim look at Tommy in shock, then watched with curiosity as Tommy blushed. Billy's house only had four bedrooms, and a male member of the team occupied each one of them.

"Welcome to Casa de Cranston-Scott-Oliver," Tommy murmured as he pulled up in front of the big white and blue house on the hill, overlooking the entire neighborhood.

"Billy's house is huge!" Aisha gasped. She hadn't been around when the remaining members of the group had moved their White, Blue and Green Rangers into the huge house on the hill, because she'd been in Stone Canyon visiting her parents, going on job interviews and looking for an apartment. Tommy nodded in agreement then helped Justin unload the bags, handing Kim and Aisha the smaller suitcase and Kim and Justin's backpacks.

The group entered the house, finding Billy standing near the entrance to the living room on the phone. "Yes Kat, they just walked in the door. I'll tell them you said hi. Bye." Turning, Billy smiled at his friends. "Welcome home, Kim."

"Nice digs, Billy. Who'd you kill to get them?" Kim teased as she gracefully moved forward and embraced one of her longtime best friends.

"Funny," Billy teased back.

"Hey, look who finally decided to come home," Rocky quipped as he, Adam, Tanya, Jason, Zack and Trini came down the stairs into the foyer.

"Welcome home, Sis," Trini murmured, hugging Kimberly when she was within reach.

"Baby Sister, we have a project for you," Jason started as he moved to show her the rest of the first floor. The look Kim was giving Jason could have melted ice. She'd been home less than an hour and already Jason had found something for her to do when all she wanted was food and a bath.

"And what project would that be?" Kim finally asked, gasping. There was no furniture anywhere. "Jason, where's the furniture?"

"That's the project," Jason laughed. "Think you could decorate the house for us?"

Kim blinked, then blinked again. Jason knew all about her degrees, in fact, other than Aisha and Trini, he was the only one that knew how hard she'd worked, during her absence from Angel Grove, in both Gymnastics and School. Kimberly had majored in Physical Education, minored in Interior Design and Computers, graduating from the University of Miami with a Bachelor's in Education and two associates degrees - an Associate of Arts degree in Interior Design and an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Computers. However, Kimberly didn't think Jason, Billy or Tommy would want her to decorate their house for them. Kim's eyes immediately sought Billy's.

"Jason's right. We need someone who understands us - our wants, needs, and styles, not someone who's going to tell us what it should be," Billy told her. Kim nodded and then turned to Aisha.

"Sha, you wanna help me?"

Aisha nodded. "Sounds like fun. And it gives me an idea for what you and I could do as far as a job is concerned," Aisha plotted, watching as Kim raised an eyebrow in question.

~*~

5:30 P.M.  
Cranston-Scott-Oliver Residence

Kim shook her head as she hung her clothes up in Tommy's walk-in closet. She still couldn't believe that the trio wanted her to decorate the downstairs portion of their house for them. Would wonders never cease?

"How's it coming?" Trini asked as she entered the room, taking a seat on what would be Tommy and Kimberly's bed for possibly the remainder of the summer.

"Almost done," Kim laughed as Trini let her gaze move around the sparsely decorated room, taking in the boxes that were strewn everywhere that said Tommy had just tossed them in and wherever they landed was where they would stay, before letting her eyes land on Kim's smiling form.

"Nervous?" Trini questioned softly as she helped Kim put the rest of her dresses and shirts on hangers. Trini had known Kimberly almost all of her life, so she could speak with some authority on sensing the brunette's moods.

"About what?" Kim asked, dancing around the obvious direction Trini was trying to go in.

Trini glared at her life-long best friend. "You know what I'm talking about, quit skirting the issue."

Kim sighed. "I have nothing to be nervous about. This is Tommy we're talking about here - the love of my life. I trust him with everything I am." Kim hung up the hangers before turning back to Trini, sighing again. She had hoped that Trini would let the issue go, but one look at the Vietnamese woman told Kim that wasn't happening.

"You don't trust him enough to tell him the whole truth." Bulls-eye. Kimberly winced, then glared. She was really sick of people telling her what to do as far as the incident with Mike was concerned. Her mother had told her nearly the same thing during their last conversation, as Aisha had over previous occasions, not to mention Trini had mentioned it before. Let alone all the conversations she'd had with the psychiatrist after the incident.

"Trini, I'm still working through everything that happened. Besides, Tommy and I are still on shaky ground. If I tell him that now, it'll ruin whatever we're building. I will tell him, but I need time."

Trini shook her head. Tommy would understand better than Kim thought, but Trini knew she had to be the one to tell him, and the others, what she'd neglected to inform them of, when they'd learned the truth, if the Pink Ranger was ever going to properly heal. "Is it safe then, for you to share a room with him?"

Kimberly pondered that. "Trini, the only time I've ever felt safe was when I was in his arms. I need this, almost as much as he does. Besides, you know the kind of guy Tommy is. He isn't going to touch me unless I tell him it's ok."

Trini nodded. Kim was right about that. Tommy was one of the most gentlemanly men she knew. He wouldn't force Kim into anything. Deciding they'd talked enough about Kim's pains and trials, Trini decided some teasing was in order. "So, whatcha gonna wear to bed tonight?" Trini teased, hoping to ease Kim's mind.

Laughing could be heard from the closet as Kimberly emerged, her face lit with mischief. "My White Ranger pajama set."

Trini laughed heartily as the image of Tommy, seeing Kim in her white pants that said 'White Ranger' in stylized black letters all over them and the white spaghetti strap tank top with the cartoon image of the original White Ranger and his Tigerzord, sprang to mind. "Trini!" Kim chided, sensing the shift in her friend's thoughts.

"He's gonna blush, you know that, right?"

Kim nodded. Tommy had blushed profusely the first time he'd seen her in her other shirt, the one she and Trini both had, especially considering exactly where the White Ranger drawing had ended up being positioned on her chest. "Ladies, are you ready for dinner?" Tommy asked as he entered the room. Kim and Trini smiled and nodded before striding out of the room, following him downstairs.

~*~

6:00 P.M.  
4 miles from the Cranston-Scott-Oliver Household

Kim sat in the front seat of Tommy's Navigator and laughed harder then she could ever remember having done before, thanks to Justin who told jokes about anything and everything he could think of to entertain the occupants of the car as the group waited behind Adam's black Chevy Avalanche and Billy's brand new blue Jaguar for the train tracks in front of them to clear. "Justin!" Kim laughed as he told a dirty joke, which had Rocky and Aisha howling in the backseat.

"Justin, knock it off," Tommy replied from the driver's seat, shaking his head in disbelief at Justin's perverted mind, seconds before his communicator went off. "Tommy here." The group instantly quieted.

"We've got trouble. Check out the other side of the tracks," Billy responded as the train finally disappeared. Tommy shut off the truck and the group of five jumped out of it, looking passed the two vehicles in front of them, their eyes locked on Goldar and Rito's forms as well as a group of putties and cogs.

"They are so gonna get it for delaying dinner!" Rocky growled. Aisha and Kim rolled their eyes while Justin chuckled. Tommy merely ignored them and dropped into a battle ready stance.

"Don't morph unless you have to!" Tommy called. The others nodded and then spread out on the street, as did the group of six in front of them.

Rito advanced on Billy and Adam's group, whiled Goldar headed for the others. "Well, well, we meet again!" Goldar rasped, his attention on Kimberly.

"Goldar, give it up!" Rocky started.

"Why Rocky, do you pathetic, powerless, former-power geeks think you can beat us?"

"I don't think, I know," Rocky fired back, a cocky grin on his face.

Goldar lunged for the young man in red. However, the gold plated general wasn't expecting the snap kick to his face from Kimberly. "Tsk, tsk, Goldar. Did you really think you could ignore the rest of us?" Kim asked as the cogs began attacking Justin, Aisha and Tommy.

"I will deal with you now, Pink One."

"Really? I don't think you can handle me!" Kim shot back, ducking Goldar as he lunged toward her. Rocky managed to surge forward, landing a hit to Goldar's shoulder blades as he stumbled passed the young man.

"You'll be the first to feel Ivan's wrath, Kimmie!" Goldar roared. "Then Rocky!"

The petite woman glared. "Tell Ivan I said he can go to hell!" Kim answered as she flipped back, her feet connecting with Goldar's chest, sending him tumbling backwards.

"You know, Goldar," Aisha taunted. "Kim never has been able to kick your ugly ass this bad before. I think you're a little out of practice." Goldar struggled to his feet and lunged toward Aisha, who hipped tossed him.

"Damn, Goldar's getting his ass kicked by a bunch of girls!" Tommy taunted. Kim and Aisha glared at him, then smiled when he shot them his 'I know you can kick ass' look.

Goldar got back to his feet in record time, and noticed that the cogs had engaged all five of the former Rangers around him. Smirking, Goldar advanced on Kimberly. "You are mine, Kimberly!" Goldar roared as he pulled Kimberly into a bear hug.

The pair tumbled forward a few seconds later when Goldar was kicked from behind. "Let her go, monkey breath!" Tommy growled. Goldar held tightly to Kim and sneered at the former Ranger leader.

"Not this time, Tommy-boy!"

Tommy felt his heart stop as Goldar tightened his grip on Kim, who gasped in pain as she felt her bones starting to be crushed. "Orange Tiger Longbow!" a shout was heard seconds before a half dozen silver and orange arrows rained down on Zedd's top general, several piercing his wings.

"Kat!" Tanya laughed as the two groups merged into one, eyes on the Orange Ninja with her bow at the ready.

"Let her go, Goldar, before you rue the day you messed with us," Kat commanded, her voice hard. Inside, her heart was up in her throat as she saw one of her best friends struggling against the arms pinning her.

The team looked at Kat in shock, wondering what had gotten into their gentle tiger. "I already do, Orange One."

Kat's orange shrouded blue eyes stared into Kim's brown ones. The Orange Ninja watched as her pink counterpart's breathing slowed and her movements calmed. With a slight nod from Kim, Katherine launched another barrage of arrows just as Kim broke free of Goldar's grip.

"KIM!" Tommy hollered.

"Ninja Ranger Power! The Crane!" Kim cried out as she landed on her back, staring up at Goldar. "Pink Crane Crossbow!" Another volley of arrows, this time from Kim, whizzed passed Goldar.

"No fair!" Rito protested as he and the putties joined the fight.

"Alls fair in love and war," Trini shot back, watching Rito smirk. 'Not good' Trini instantly thought.

"Really? Then let's even the odds, Ninja Geeks!"

The group of twelve watched a beam of light envelope Rito and Goldar. Then the ninjas watched the pair grow forty stories.

"Not good!" Adam hissed as the team backed up several steps.

"Tommy?" Jason called.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

"Black Ranger Power!" Adam smiled under his helmet as the rush of power sizzled under his skin and bathed him in the familiar colored suit.

"Pink Ranger Power!" Kim sighed in relief as the weight of her morph settled around her. She had been worried that it might not work; she'd never been more relieved in her life to be wrong.

"Blue Ranger Power!" For the first time in nearly six years, Billy felt the power of the morphin' grid rush over him, felt the pull of the Wolf and the power afforded him by being the Blue Ranger.

"Yellow Ranger Power!" Aisha grinned; she just couldn't help it. She had never thought of being back in this situation; she hadn't realized until just now how much she missed being a Ranger.

"Red Ranger Power!" Rocky heaved a sigh of relief as he looked out through his tinted visor. It was nice to be back in the color he felt most comfortable in.

"White Ranger Power!" Tommy's first thought was it was like coming home. He shot Kimberly a sideways glance and noticed that she stood straighter, and with more confidence. And now here he was back as her White Knight. Would wonders never cease?

"Beige Ranger Power!" Justin blinked rapidly, looking down at his body. It was kinda weird not seeing the blue armor he'd first donned, but he was happy with the change.

"Turquoise Ranger Power!" Trini wanted to shout from the rooftops as the power sang through her blood. It had been entirely too long since she'd felt like this, and even though she wasn't in her signature color, she knew she was just happy to be back in the saddle.

"Gold Ranger Power!" Zack looked down at his uniform and smiled, thinking maybe being the Black Ranger wasn't all it was cracked up to be after all.

"Orange Ranger Power!" Kat smiled. She'd been through three incarnations of Pink, it was nice to have a new color, new powers, and with a tiny twinge of embarrassment and relief to know she would not have to stand in Kimberly's shadow anymore; there hadn't ever been an Orange Ranger before.

"Green Ranger Power!" Jason felt the shock ripple through him, taking him back to his freshman year of high school, when he looked down to see the nearly familiar green uniform that had only been worn by Tommy and that was now uniquely his.

"Purple Ranger Power!" Tanya laughed. She was happy, like Kat, not to have to live up to someone else's legacy as a Ranger - like Orange there hadn't been any other Purple Rangers.

A burst of light signaled that the twelve young adults that had been standing there were gone, having instantly been morphed into the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. Unlike their original suits, which were made of spandex, their new suits were made of a tougher, more armored material; it was as though the Rangers actually were wearing something substantial that would protect them against even the most powerful attacks. They looked strong and menacing.

Aisha looked down at her uniform and groaned. "T, I blame you for this!" she muttered, causing the Purple Ranger to look over at her. Instead of the normal Yellow Ranger uniform, Aisha was now sporting a skirt, just like Tanya had as the Yellow Zeo and Turbo Rangers.

"I blame this whole skirt issue on Pink!" Trini growled, all the other female Rangers shooting daggers at their Pink Ranger.

"So sue me if I'm the one Ranger who always demanded a skirt with the outfit!" Kim hollered back, smiling under the helmet of her uniform at the irony of the other girls finally having skirts.

Rocky nudged Adam in the ribs, which caused the Black Ranger to turn his attention to his friend. "At least now we don't have to worry about Goldar, Rito or Mordent checking out the girls' butts."

"ROCKY!" five voices hissed, causing the Red Ranger to wince.

Goldar and Rito had watched the twelve shift from civilians to Rangers, then had enjoyed watching them banter back and forth before deciding to get on with their appointed task. "Neat trick, how'd they do that?" Rito asked Goldar.

"Curse Dulcea! She helped them gain the Great Power!" Goldar hissed, knowing their masters were watching from above.

"Let's do it guys!" Tommy called out, bringing the full attention of the team to the task at hand.

"We need Ninja Zord Power!" the rest of Team One responded.

"Ninja Frog Zord!"

"Ninja Crane Zord!"

"Ninja Wolf Zord!"

"Ninja Bear Zord!"

"Ninja Ape Zord!"

"Ninja Falcon Zord!"

Each Ranger moved through the familiar call to their Ninja Zords, feeling the joy burst forth when the six familiar, multi-colored machines flew into view.

Once the original six Ninja Zords were within distance, Team One ascended to them, each Ranger sliding into their cockpit. "Feels good to be back!" Rocky laughed as the group nodded, waiting for Tommy to give the go ahead.

"Alright, let's do it!"

"We need Ninja Mega Falcon Zord Power!"

From the ground, Team Two watched in fascination as the Ninja Mega Falcon Zord formed and then landed on its feet, their friends resting safely within it's cockpit. "All right T, it's time," the Green Ranger laughed as the Purple Ranger nodded.

"We need Ninja Zord Power!" Team Two called out.

"Ninja Puma Zord!"

"Ninja Gazelle Zord!"

"Ninja Eagle Zord!"

"Ninja Tiger Zord!"

"Ninja Dragon Zord!"

"Ninja Panther Zord!"

Team One watched in awe as Team Two went through their own routine, gasping as the six new Zords emerged from the Zord bay and their fellow Rangers jumped into the cockpits of their respective machines.

"Nice!" Zack grinned as he got a look at his new and improved Zord. The Eagle Zord had nearly the same wingspan and armament as the Falcon Zord, but the body was smaller and overall it was a bit faster.

"Weapons system on line!" Trini informed the others as the Gazelle Zord's weapon system came on line with a touch of her hand. The Gazelle Zord looked as sleek and sophisticated as the Wolf Zord.

"Sweet cockpit! This is nothing like the Turbo Zords!" Justin laughed as he got a look at his control panels. The last Zord he'd controlled had been a truck, this one, he knew, was going to take some time getting use to.

"I'm definitely loving this!" Kat piped up. She hadn't exactly had the best Zords compared to the others, her Wind Chaser being the only one she'd felt comfortable in.

"My compliments go to Alpha 5 and Ninjor on this one!" Jason gasped as he took in his surroundings. The Dragon Ninja Zord was nearly the same as the Red Dragon Thunder Zord, except it was sleeker, faster, and had a few improvements.

"Definitely!" Tanya laughed. Her Zeo Zord hadn't been very mobile, and while she'd loved Dune Star, she was happy to have a more efficient and faster Zord. "Alright guys, show time!"

"We need Ninja Mega Zord Power!" the six called out together.

Jason's Dragon was truly reminiscent of his Thunder Zord of old. It folded up, forming a more human looking Zord without a head. Justin's Puma folded its paws and tail up into itself, forming the left leg while Tanya's Panther did the same thing, forming the right leg. The two Zords then slipped onto the legs of Jason's Dragon, mouths pointing up. Trini's Gazelle compacted itself, forming the right arm with the mouth of her Zord resembling a hand. Kat's Tiger also folded in on itself, forming the left arm with the mouth left open for a hand. Last but not least was Zack's Eagle, which converted itself into a chest plate and the head of the Mega Zord by detaching its head and chest from the wings, which folded up on the front of Jason's Dragon, and the head and chest came to rest on top of the very tall machine.

"Wow!" Aisha called from the Mega Falcon Zord.

"Morphinominal!" Billy laughed.

"That looks awesome!" Adam chimed in as the others nodded.

"Alright guys, time to get to work," Tommy called, the others echoing in response.

Team One engaged Goldar in battle while Team Two took on Rito. "Yo Rangers! Your Ninja Mega Zords each have a power sword!" Alpha 6 announced over the communications link the Rangers had with the base.

"Ninja Mega Falcon Zord Battle Mode!" Team One called "Power Sword!"

"Ninja Mega Zord Battle Mode!" Team Two echoed. "Power Sword, now!"

In a flash of light, the two power swords appeared in the hands of the robot warriors. "I can't believe this!" Rito grinned stupidly.

"Destroy them!" Goldar commanded as the pair of villains surged forward to face the Rangers. Both Goldar and Rito managed to get some sucker punches in on the Zords, which momentarily knocked the Rangers for a loop. Rito even managed to knock the Ninja Mega Zord to the ground with a kick to its chest that Team Two could not block.

"We've got to do something!" Aisha cried out as the Ninja Mega Falcon Zord took a direct hit to the chest from Goldar's sword, sparks flying everywhere.

"Ideas, people?" Tommy asked as the team struggled to stabilize their Zord.

Kim nodded. "Let's try the new attack Alpha told us about!" Kim called, reminding the others of one of their recent conversations with Alpha 5, and then braced her hands against the window in front of her for the collision with Goldar, who'd tried to ram the giant robot, and then with the ground as they toppled over. Once the team got themselves to their feet, they started their new attack. "Only let's use our Power Sword with it!"

"Ninja Mega Falcon Zord, Power Sword Strike!" The sword in question came slashing down, sparking with blinding silver energy, causing Goldar to jump back out of its path and right into Rito.

"Ninja Mega Zord, Laser Strike!" Twin beams of light fired from the eyes of the Mega Zord's head, right above where Team Two sat in the cockpit, stunning Goldar and Rito.

"Retreat!" Goldar roared before he and Rito disappeared.

With the threat over, the Rangers returned to Tommy, Adam, and Billy's cars. "Kat, are you ready to teleport back?" Alpha 5 asked, scaring the Rangers slightly.

"Of course, Alpha."

"Thanks for saving my ass!" Kim called. Kat grinned and threw Kim a thumb's up before she was teleported out in a column of orange light.

"Alright, enough stalling, I'm starving!" Rocky moaned pitifully.

"Then let's get a move on," Tommy commanded as the group got into their vehicles and proceeded to the restaurant.

~*~

9:15 P.M.  
Angel Hills Cineplex  
6 miles from the Cranston-Scott-Oliver Household

"Drinks? Popcorn?" Rocky whined.

"Drinks yes, but do you really need popcorn?" Aisha asked her boyfriend, eyeing him carefully. "Didn't we just eat dinner?"

The group had decided on hitting the movies after dinner. Justin, Jason, Rocky, and Tommy had begged to see Men In Black 2, so the girls, Billy, and Adam had relented.

"Look, why don't you guys go find us seats, we'll get the drinks and meet you in the theater," Kim suggested, shooing the boys along.

"I'll help," Justin started, receiving a nod from the other guys.

"Fine, Justin's with us, you guys find seats, somewhere near the front in case of an emergency," Tanya commanded, booking no argument from the others.

The four girls and Justin moved toward the concessions stand, looking up at the board to see what types of pop were sold. "We've got Pepsi products folks," Aisha laughed, especially when Justin made a 'yes' motion.

Kim nodded then stepped up to the counter after a quick rundown with the girls and Justin on what they wanted and what the others would want. "I need eleven large drinks." The cashier looked at Kim in shock. "I need two Mountain Dews, two Pepsis, three diet Pepsis, two Sierra Mists, and two Orange Slices. Please."

"That'll be forty-nine fifty," the cashier said as Kim winced. Pulling out a fifty, Kim handed it to her.

"And can we have carriers for all these, please," Kim smiled as the cashier handed her fifty cents.

"K, just take Tommy's and yours, we'll get the rest," Justin told Kim, who took a Pepsi and Diet Pepsi, and then moved back out of the way. Aisha joined her a minute later with two drinks in hand, one a Diet Pepsi and the other a Mountain Dew for Rocky.

While the other three were getting drinks, Kim and Aisha were being scoped out by a bunch of seventeen-year-old boys. "Watch me score with the short chick in pink," the leader of the pack muttered, striding over to where Kim and Aisha stood. "Hey sweet thang."

Aisha laughed while Kimberly rolled her eyes. They weren't much older than the boys, but it was still annoying to be hit on by someone who was a bit on the immature side. "Hello?" he asked again, stepping closer to Kim and touching her arm.

"I'm sorry, where you talking to me in that rude manner?" Kimberly asked, whirling around to face him, shrugging off his grip on her arm. "Because I know you have more respect for your elders than that."

Aisha snickered. Kimberly loved puling the 'I'm older and wiser than you' routine with kids like this guy.

"Listen, how about you ditch your friend there and come see a movie with me, then we can go somewhere afterward and get our grove on?" he asked wiggling his eyebrows, undeterred by Kim's comments. Kim's eyes narrowed while Aisha shook her head, backing up a few paces to give her home girl some room to work.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave her alone," a voice growled. Kim and Aisha watched as Justin stood toe to toe with the other boy, his face set in grim determination. "I usually don't take too kindly to guys like you messing with my sister, and I don't think you want me to kick your ass."

"Justin, it's fine. I can handle this," Kim assured the younger Ranger, smiling up at him for the sister comment, her voice sickeningly sweet, as she stepped forward, having set the drinks down on the counter to her left.

Both Trini and Tanya had joined them as some point, holding the other carriers with the drinks in them and looking slightly sorry for the young man who had hit on Kim. Justin nodded and stepped back, allowing Kim room to work. He knew he'd step in if things got any worse, but Kim was right, for the moment she could handle this.

"I'm sorry, but I don't go and 'get my groove on' as you put it, with pathetic, immature little boys like you who think they're all that and a bag of chips, when the only thing they are is a big ball of walking hormones that only think with their peckers instead of the brain God gave them at birth."

Aisha, Trini, Tanya and Justin looked shocked by Kim's comments. Who knew their sweet, loveable, innocent Kim had such a mouth?

"Show her who's boss, Brock!" the boy's friends cheered from behind him, shrinking back slightly at the glares they received from Justin and the other three girls.

"Go ahead Brock, show me who's boss," Kim dared him. He lunged at Kim, who side stepped him then turned to face him as he spun himself around. "I suggest you leave me alone before I kick your ass six ways from Sunday."

"Like you could beat me," Brock snarled. "You little bitch." The insult caused Kim to narrow her eyes giving him her patent 'Just try it' look.

He moved toward her again, only to be stopped this time by a big hand grasping his shirt collar at the last minute. Kim turned slightly, and smiled up at the blue jean clad, white sweatshirt-wearing form of her boyfriend.

"You should know better," Tommy growled, spinning the boy around to face him. "Ladies are to be treated with respect." Tommy inched closer to Brock, hauling the teenager to within mere inches of his own face. "Touch my girlfriend again, or even call her nasty names like that again, and I may have to kick your ass, that is, after she's done with you. She may be small, and fragile-looking, but she's taken on scum far worse than you, that would give you nightmares for the rest of your life. I suggest you apologize and go about your business."

Once the seventeen-year-old was back on his feet, he murmured sorry to Kim before taking off with his tail between his legs to the safety of his group of friends. "Thank you, Baby, but I had it under control." Kim smiled up at Tommy, who arched an eyebrow and smiled. He leaned down, pecked a kiss to her cheek, and then grabbed the two drinks she sat down while Kim slid her right hand into his back pocket.

"Let's go, the movie's starting."

~*~

9:30 P.M.

Jason looked at Tommy questioningly as he and Justin escorted the girls into the theater, Trini, Tanya and Aisha laughing hysterically as they took their seats and passed out drinks. "What happened?"

"Some idiot boy decided to hit on Kim," Justin laughed, settling into the seat between Rocky and Adam. "Guys, you should have seen it. I thought for sure Kim was gonna open a can of whoop ass on him."

"Watch your mouth young man," Billy reprimanded, which caused Justin to wince and nod his head. "Kim, you ok?"

Kimberly sat forward from her spot between Aisha and Tommy and nodded. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

"I think Tommy scaring the crap out of that little boy had a lot to do with it too, Kim," Trini laughed as they waited for the previews to finish. Kim glared at her childhood best friend. "You were doing a good job, but Mr. White Knight over there almost made the boy pee his pants."

Kim nodded and laughed. "Thank you, Baby," Kim murmured to Tommy, kissing him on the lips, before leaning her head on his shoulder to watch Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones kick alien butt, a concept they were intimately familiar with.

~*~

Wednesday  
July 3, 2002  
12:30 A.M.  
Cranston-Scott-Oliver Household

'God I look awful' Kim thought as she stared at her reflection in the mirror of Tommy's bathroom. Her chest was covered in thin, white scars that were usually covered by her bra; her stomach bore the same marks, as did her inner thighs and hips. 'What did I do to deserve to have this done to me?' Kim asked herself as she rubbed some vitamin E lotion over her body, hoping to soften the marks that she knew would never go away.

"Kim, you coming to bed anytime soon?" Tommy called from the other side of the door, making Kim jump.

"Yeah! I'll be out in a minute!" she called back, leaning forward and grabbing her clean underwear off the counter, slipping them on, then pulling on her pajamas, which consisted of pink pants with red hearts on them and a pink, spaghetti strap tank top with a red glitter heart that was broken and surrounded by the words 'Heart Breaker'. 'Chicken shit' Kim chided herself, knowing that she'd never get the nerve worked up to wear her White Ranger pajamas in front of Tommy, especially now that he was back in the white suit.

When she walked out of the bathroom, she tensed slightly. Sitting on the bed was Tommy, clad in a pair of black sweats and nothing else, illuminated by the glow of the bedside lamps as he read one of his textbooks for one of his summer courses. "What's wrong?" Tommy asked when he saw her face.

Forcing a smile, Kim quietly moved to the bed, slipping under the covers with him. "Kim?"

"Hmm?" she asked, looking up at him from where she lay on her pillow.

"You ok?"

"Yep. Goodnight," she whispered turning off the lamp and then laying on her side to face the bathroom door, her back to Tommy. She hoped he hadn't sensed just how nervous she was about this.

Tommy sighed, laying the book on the nightstand. She obviously wasn't in a talkative mood, so he shut off the lamp on his side of the bed and settled down. "Beautiful?"

"Hmm?" Kim responded. "What's wrong?"

"Can I hold you?" Tommy pleaded softly. He needed to feel her in his arms, to know this was all real and not just one of his dreams. After all these years, things were starting to look up for them, but Tommy still had his doubts.

Kim smiled in the darkness, thinking of the absurdity of his question. He was the only one who had a right to touch her without asking, even if she was slightly hesitant about it. "I'd like that."

Tommy bit his lip. Kimberly's body had tensed when he'd wrapped his arms around her, if only for a second, but he'd felt it none the less, before she had relaxed and scooted back so that her back was snuggled as close as possible to his chest. "I love you, Kim."

"I love you too, Tommy," Kimberly purred, laying an arm over his at her waist, interlocking their fingers as she felt her dreams start to carry her off.

~*~

Rocky’s Apartment  
Same Time

"You sure you're gonna be ok on the couch?" Aisha asked Rocky as they stood in his bedroom.

"I'll be fine, Sha," Rocky assured her. "I've slept on that couch plenty of times, trust me."

Aisha raised an eyebrow. "And just how many women other than me have you had in your room, Rockford DeSantos?" She was teasing him, they both knew it, but somewhere in the pit of her stomach, Aisha worried.

"Let's see, not counting my sisters, cause I don't see them as women, only my mother, Tanya, Kat, Trini, and the cleaning lady. Oh, wait, and my grandmother."

Aisha's eyebrow rose at the mention of their three female teammates. "Tanya, Kat and Trini?"

Rocky gulped as he thought of how to phrase his response. "They were in here with me, Adam and Jason, at various times when I gave the group the grand tour of the apartment." Rocky watched Aisha grin. "Sha, you know I only have eyes for you, right?" Rocky pleaded with her.

Aisha nodded and then stepped close to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. "I know, which is why I'm gonna ask you something and I don't want you to freak out when I do."

"What?"

"Stay in here with me tonight?" she asked softly, looking up at him with vulnerable eyes. Rocky watched as the image of the slightly chubby, braid-wearing four-year-old Aisha had been when he first met her shattered irrevocably in his mind. Before him stood a confident, mature, sexy as hell twenty-four year old whose love for him was shining plain as day from her bottomless black eyes.

"Are you sure?" Rocky asked, needing to hear her answer almost as much as he needed to see it in her eyes.

"Positive."

Nodding, Rocky led Aisha back to the bed before he went to the door, shut it with a soft click, turned out the light, and rejoined her, sliding under the sheets with her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close to his heart. "I love you, Rocky," Aisha murmured softly into his chest.

Rocky's eyes watered. Aisha never ceased to amaze him. He knew she loved him, as a friend, and had only hoped she was starting to love him in a deeper, more meaningful way. She had just told him, in no uncertain terms, with the tone of her voice, that she was falling fast.

"I love you, Aisha, always," he whispered back, kissing her forehead before dropping off to the land of dreams.

~*~

Adam and Tanya’s Apartment  
Same Time

Adam sighed. He was in his favorite position - curled up next to Tanya with his head in her lap while she stroked his hair and read a book. Soft jazz was playing from the stereo on the other side of the room, lulling them into a contented quiet.

"What's wrong?" Tanya asked, hearing his sigh.

"Nothing. Everything's perfect," Adam grinned, kissing her knee. "I'm happy. I've got you, I've got my friends, I have an awesome job, a nice place to live, my health, your health, and I'm a Ranger again. Only thing that would make this more perfect would be some kids."

Tanya laughed softly, moving her book aside as she bent down and kissed his forehead. "Honey, we discussed that after this business started. Until the world is safe again, having kids is not an option, no matter how much you and I both know we want them."

Adam smiled. "I know. It's nice to have one dream left for the future for now. Ready for bed?"

Tanya nodded. "Come on, shut off your light and let's go to sleep." Adam crawled up from her lap to the head of the bed, and together they shut off their lights and settled down for sleep.

~*~

The Kwan-Taylor-Hillard Household  
Same Time

"Sex In The City?"

"No. I don't want to watch four women talk about their sex lives."

There was a small chuckle about that before another suggestion. "Cheers?"

"Naw, too out-dated."

"Murder She Wrote?"

"Puh-lease. I do not want to watch a lady the same age as my grandmother busting some young kid's ass as she solves a mystery. I'll pass."

There was a low growl, which signaled Zack was about to be hit with a throw pillow. Trini had tried suggesting something from the T.V. guide for them to watch. Neither was really tired, though they both knew they needed sleep. "What in the hell do you want to watch then?" Trini asked through clenched teeth.

Zack took the book from her, scanning the pages quickly. "How about channel 13?"

Trini sighed and entered the number on the remote. What popped up made her laugh. Channel 13 News was doing an exclusive documentary on the Power Rangers. "Funny Taylor, very funny."

"Shh! This is interesting, I want to hear what they're saying!" Zack laughed. Trini took the pillow in her lap and smacked him in the face with it, causing an all out pillow fight as Zack retaliated.

~*~

Location Unknown  
Time Unknown

"Master?"

"We'll wait until they're least expecting it before we attack once more. Make sure the army's ready."

"Yes, My Lord."

~*~

Thursday  
July 4, 2002  
7:00 A.M.  
Cranston-Scott-Oliver Household

Cooking had become one of her favorite morning pleasures. After a run around the block, a shower, and checking her email on Billy's laptop, Kimberly stood in the kitchen, making use of the housewarming gift from Tommy's mother to the guys - a full set of pots, pans, cookware, and dishes.

Before coming home last night, she, Tommy, and Justin had stopped by the store and grabbed a few essentials that the guys didn't have. This morning, Kim was turning those essentials into breakfast for her housemates - cinnamon French toast, orange juice, coffee, milk, omelets just the way they liked them, fresh fruit - basically the works.

"Morning," a sleepy voice called as Kim turned from where she was soaking the bread in eggs for the French toast and smiled.

Billy stood in the kitchen, freshly showered and dressed for his day, though he still looked tired. "Nice timing. The coffee pot just finished and I'm getting ready to throw the French toast on. What do you want in your omelet?"

The blue clad genius moved to the coffee pot and took the blue and white mug set on the counter next to it and filled it with the hot black liquid. "Ham, cheese, and green peppers, please," Billy managed before he took a huge gulp of the steaming substance, sighing in pleasure as he leaned against the counter. "What got you up this early?"

Kim looked at the microwave clock and smiled. "I've been up since five, old habits die hard. I've already gotten my run and my shower over with, as well as checked my email. I figured since two of you have to go to work this morning, and two of you have school, in a matter of speaking, I'd make you something to eat."

Billy smiled. "Thanks. Jason's in his shower, and I heard Justin rumbling around in his room when I came down."

"Then they'll be right on time for food. Knowing Tommy, he'll sleep until the last possible minute."

Shaking his head, Billy accepted the plate Kim was handing to him. When he sat at the makeshift table, he blinked in surprise. There sat a pitcher of orange juice, a bowl of fresh cut fruit, glasses of milk for each of them, and the plate he'd just sat down was piled high with French toast and an omelet. "When did you learn to cook?"

"You mean when did I have time?" At Billy's nod, she smiled. "When you live alone as long as I did, you learn to adjust quickly. Besides, I knew how to cook in high school I just never applied myself. I'm pretty good at simple dishes; just don't ask me to make a full on Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings. I'll be handing you the phone and telling you to call a caterer."

Billy couldn't help but laugh at that while he dug into his breakfast. Kimberly had definitely grown up over the last couple of years. "Coffee!"

Both Kim and Billy laughed when Jason pounced over to the counter where the coffee pot sat. Kim watched him carefully, wincing when he dumped a half a cup of sugar and cream into his green mug before gulping half the contents down. For someone who ate pretty much all healthy foods, there were just some things that Jason ate that grossed Kim out, his coffee being one of them. "Ewww Jase!" Kim cringed. "Would you like some coffee with your cream and sugar?"

Jason glared at her then at Billy, who was discretely laughing at the pair from his spot at the table. "Look, until I've had at least two cups, I'm not human this early in the morning."

Kim shook her head. "I'm glad I didn't find out till now. Oh, and I'll be sure to remind Katherine of that the next time I see her." Her comments earned another glare from Jason as he moved to sit with Billy at the table. "What do you want in your omelet?"

"Whatever you put in Billy's, which looks awesome by the way." Kim smiled and turned back to the stove. Three minutes later, the Pink Ranger sat a plate full of French toast and a steaming omelet in front of her big brother.

"Is that food, real food, I smell?" Justin asked as he trudged in, his eyes half open and his mouth watering at the scent of whatever was in the kitchen cooking.

"Justin, omelet?"

"Ham and cheese, nothing else, please," he murmured, sitting down next to Jason and pouring himself a huge glass of orange juice. Before he had a chance to take a sip, Kimberly sat a plate in front of him, making his eyes bulge. "YUM!" he cried out, grabbing the syrup bottle and drenching the toast as well as his omelet with it.

"That's nasty," Jason commented as Billy grimaced at the syrup-laden breakfast on Justin's plate.

"You use to do the same thing," Kim retorted, cuffing Jason's head with her hand, which caused Jason to glare at her. Jason, Billy and Kim grinned moments later, all of them thinking back on the many sleepovers they had with Zack and Trini at each other's houses. "Let the boy eat in his own way, he's gonna work it off today anyway."

"That's right," Billy laughed, getting up to get another cup of coffee. "You're going to Rocky's for the day, aren't you?"

Justin nodded, swallowing the enormous bite of French toast before grinning. "Yeah. Rocko asked me to come teach a few of his intermediate classes while he deals with setting up some details for the expo at orientation for Stone Canyon and Angel Grove High Schools."

"JASON! BILLY! JUSTIN!"

Four sets of eyes widened at the sound of Tommy's stricken voice. "Bets are, he's found you missing," Jason commented to Kim, who turned back to the stove to fix Tommy's breakfast. "TOMMY! KITCHEN!"

Seconds later, Tommy raced into the kitchen, his face stark white with fear. "Kim's miss..."

"She's right here, making breakfast," Jason remarked as Tommy stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes taking in his jean clad, pink shirted, barefooted, ponytail sporting girlfriend who was standing by the stove, a plate of food in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other.

Kim held out the items in her grasp. "Hungry?"

Tommy ignored her question, surging forward and wrapping his arms around her, nearly causing her to drop her burden. "Don't scare me like that ever, ever again!"

"Sorry," Kim tried not to laugh, managing a smile only. "Here, sit down and eat. You've got to be at school by eight-thirty."

~*~

10:45 A.M.  
Kenneth Hart’s Mercedes  
Downtown Angel Grove

"So, Dad, what brings you to visit me?" Kimberly asked as her father pulled his Mercedes away from Rocky's dojo where they'd just dropped Justin off for the afternoon.

"Kimberly, I've been hearing some stories, ones involving you," Kenneth Hart started.

Kimberly narrowed her gaze on her father's face as he headed for the Country Club he belonged to, the one he was taking her to lunch at. "What kind of stories?"

"That you're improperly behaving with your male friends. Kimberly, we've been through this once already, didn't you learn your lesson with Michael?"

The Pink Ranger felt her mouth drop open. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me young lady," Kenneth snapped at her.

"Stop the car this instant."

"Kimberly, really, must you act like a five year old?"

"I SAID STOP THE CAR!" Kim screamed. Mr. Hart pulled to the sidewalk and watched his daughter stare at him. "I cannot believe you just said that to me. Number one, I never asked for, what Mike did to me, to happen. Number two, the few male friends I have are either gay, straight with girlfriends, straight with wives, or straight and not looking for a significant other," Kim forced out, mentally counting to ten so she didn't start screaming at her father again.

"Number three, until a month ago, I pushed all of my friends that live here away, and am only now getting them back. Number four, my living with Billy, Jason, Justin and Tommy for the remainder of the summer is none of your concern. Last but not least, I wouldn't ever think of the guys, with the exception of Tommy, as anything but my brothers. Now, if you want to see me again, you will not bring this up, especially around the guys. If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go call one of the gang to come and get me. By the way, happy Fourth Of July, Daddy." With that, Kim got out of the car and slammed the door before running down the street for a payphone.

~*~

11:30 A.M.  
Burger King Parking Lot

"What happened?"

Kimberly looked up at Zack from where she sat on the curb in the parking lot of the nearest Burger King, angry tears welling in her eyes. She had called each of the others in hopes that they'd come get her. Jason, Rocky, and Billy had been stuck at work. Justin was teaching a class, Tommy was in the middle of one of his labs, Aisha was stuck in traffic in Stone Canyon on the way to an interview, Trini was swamped with a computer malfunction in Billy's office, both Adam and Tanya were stuck either at the radio station or the television studio, Kat was still not home, which left Zack as her last option. He'd been sleeping late but had told her to hang tight and he'd come rescue her.

"Sis?" Zack asked when Kim silently stood and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest.

"He said people are telling him I'm behaving improperly with my male friends. Of course, that was before he asked me if I hadn't learned my lesson from Mike," Zack heard her muffled reply though she remained buried in his chest.

The Gold Ranger felt his jaw hit the ground. "He what?"

"You heard me," Kim sighed. The tears still welled in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She was a grown woman, her father's words wouldn't and shouldn't bare enough weight to make her cry like this, especially since she knew the truth, which was all that counted.

"God Kim," Zack shook his head, hugging her tighter. "How could he? Are you sure he isn't under Zedd and Rita's spell?"

Kim nodded and managed a weak smile at Zack's attempt at a lame joke, though she knew he was marginally serious. She'd thought of that too, but her father's attitude and tone were familiar. "No, he said it all in that utterly and annoyingly calm voice of his. Damn it Zack, how could he!" Zack watched as Kim spun away from him and raged. He didn't know how to help or what to say. "By the way, thanks for coming out here on your morning to sleep in to get me."

Zack smiled. "Anything for my little sister." Holding his hand out to her, Zack spoke again. "Come on, let's go get you a cell phone so you don't spend another ten bucks on the payphone when you get stuck."

~*~

6:30 P.M.  
Rocky’s Dojo

Her breathing was harsh, her thoughts swirled around in her mind at a mile a minute, and her body was sweaty. She felt tired but pride kept her standing. She spun, twisted, ducked, and flipped to and fro. She was nearly insane with anger as the incident from that morning played over and over in her mind.

To Tommy, she looked even more beautiful than normal. As she was now, she wasn't hiding her emotions, wasn't meek or fragile. Here she was letting the Kimberly he knew so well shine through.

"Damn, she must have studied with someone in Florida. I don't ever remember our Kim being able to do Martial Arts like that," Rocky murmured as he, Zack, Adam, Jason and Justin stood with Tommy and watched Kim burn off her anger in his dojo.

"I can't believe her dad did that," Justin growled, his dislike for Kim's dad growing exponentially.

"Her dad's always been an ass," Justin heard Jason spit out. "I never would have expected this though."

"How long has she been at it?" Adam asked, turning to stare at Rocky and Zack.

"Since Zack brought her in at one-thirty," Rocky sighed. "She hasn't taken one break, heck, she won't even talk to any of us."

The group watched the ever-silent Tommy stalk over to Kim, who was beating up the punching bag in the corner. "Break time." Tommy glared at the back of her head as she ignored him. "Kimberly."

Her full name brought her up short. Turning, Kim looked up into Tommy's bottomless brown eyes. "Have a nice day at school?" she asked as she moved to grab her towel, only to do something completely different.

Tommy gasped slightly when Kim moved to hug him without warning. "Beautiful?"

Kimberly let herself drown for a moment while she inhaled Tommy's aftershave and cologne. "I'm ok, I'm not gonna break. What he said pissed me off. I just need you to hold me for a minute, please."

"I want you to come home with me, take a warm bath, get some food, then lay in bed with me and watch a movie," Tommy softly commanded, his arms wrapped tightly around her back, holding her as close to him as he could get her.

Kim looked up at Tommy and smiled. "I could go for that."

Tommy grinned, pecking a kiss to her lips before replying, "Go grab your bag and I'll go say goodbye to the others."

~*~

8:00 P.M.  
Cranston-Scott-Oliver Household

Leaning against the doorframe, arms and ankles crossed, Tommy watched Kim sitting in the tub. "You're staring," Kim teased.

"So I am. Would you prefer I didn't?"

"You've seen everything I have before, so it doesn't matter to me."

Tommy laughed; she had a point. "Feeling any better?" he asked as he moved to sit on the edge of the tub.

"Tremendously. I'm still upset at him, but not as much as before." Kim watched Tommy's expression deepen. He was staring at her so intently that it made her blush and want to hide. "Baby?"

"Hmm?" he asked, reaching out to brush a couple tendrils of hair from her face. Kim had piled as much of her hair on her head as she could when she'd gotten into the bubble bath Tommy had drawn for her, but now some of it was sticking to her forehead and neck after having fallen from the clasp of the pins she'd used.

Kimberly felt her stomach knot at the on his face before she felt her muscles relax. This was Tommy, her Tommy, and she knew she was safer with him than with anyone else in the world. "Which movies do we have to watch?"

Tommy laughed. "I have several. When you get out, you can pick one, ok?"

Kim nodded. "Give me a few minutes to rinse off and get dressed and I'll be out." Tommy leaned down and kissed her before leaving her to get out of the bath.

~*~

8:15 P.M.

"Ok, movie time!" Kim chirped as she bounced out of the bathroom and sat on her side of the bed. Tommy sat cross-legged on his side, several DVD's spread out in front of him. "What have we got?"

"We've got," Tommy started, picking up the pile. "Lara Craft: Tomb Raider, Pearl Harbor, The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, A Knight's Tale, Planet Of The Apes, Rush Hour, Rush Hour 2, American Pie, American Pie 2, The Musketeer, Hardball, Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Thirteen Ghosts, Behind Enemy Lines, and Monster's Inc."

Kim couldn't contain her laughter. "Monster's Inc?" she asked, looking down at the colorful case of the Disney and Pixar movie.

"Rocky got it for me," Tommy blushed as Kimberly finally stopped laughing. She was lying on her side of the bed, on her back, staring at the ceiling, smiling and gasping for breath. Tommy watched her, careful not to make her feel self-conscious. She looked so much like the guileless, giving, loving, uninhibited, resilient woman he'd fallen in love with so many years before. His Kimberly was shining through the reserved, careful woman he'd been pushed into this situation with a few weeks before, like the flaming Pink Crane who represented her soul.

"You're staring again," Kim whispered, looking up at Tommy looking down on her. The Pink Ranger felt her heart swell at the look in Tommy's eyes. It was a look that she hadn't seen for many, many years. When he looked at her just as he was now, Kimberly knew he was looking beyond the walls she'd thrown up and the armor she'd donned to keep herself from being hurt again. He was looking past all of that to the heart of the woman she had once been, the woman who had known the instant she'd met the man at the heart of who Tommy was, that he was the one who was her other half, the same woman still buried deep within her, struggling to break free.

"I can't help it," Tommy murmured, reaching out to brush her bangs back from her face. She had changed so much, that when they'd been reunited, Tommy had wondered if there was even a piece of the woman he had loved still inside of her. He'd just gotten his answer. That she could laugh, could smile, so easily around him again, just like before, despite everything life had thrown at her, warmed him in ways he hadn't thought possible.

She gasped softly when his thoughts became so clear to her, as if they were her own. [Tommy?] He looked startled when he heard her voice even though her lips hadn't moved. It was just like in their shared dream from the morning they got their power coins.

[Well, that answers one question] Tommy teased back, a smile finding it's way onto his lips.

[Which one?] Kim flexed the muscle of this new power, reaching out to him with her mind. It was a new intimacy that this power brought, that they could link without a word. It was as though the bond that had been between them before now had a tangible manifestation.

[About our new abilities, the ones Ninjor mentioned]

[If this works for us, do you think it'll work with the others?]

[Let's find out] Tommy told her, then slowed his breath, closed his eyes, and reached out his own mind to Jason, Billy and Justin. [Guys?]

Seconds later, the pounding of feet was heard, followed by a knock on the door. "Come in!" Tommy called, he and Kim gasping when the trio he'd called walked in.

"How in the hell did you get inside of my head?" Jason asked, causing the others to laugh.

"It seems the team got a group ability," Tommy laughed as Kim sat up and smiled at the other guys.

"We're telepaths now," Kim grinned. "Tommy and I figured if you guys heard him, then it must be a team thing."

Justin started grinning from ear to ear. 'Oh this is gonna be fun!' he thought to himself, then shrunk back when Kim's voice sounded in his head, even though her mouth was drawn into a frown. [Don't even think it, young man. These are just like your other powers, not to be used unless absolutely necessary, understood?]

Justin nodded, which caused Tommy, Jason and Billy to look at him. "Scolded by the older sister," Justin murmured softly, looking whipped. Jason, Billy and Tommy started laughing, knowing what it was like to be on the receiving end of one of Kimberly's scolding lectures.

"We'll have to ask the others about this when we get together for dinner tomorrow," Billy informed them, receiving four nods in response. "Jason, you and Kimberly might want to see if you can reach Katherine."

"Why me?" Kim asked suddenly. She could understand Jason trying, but her?

"Because, you two shared the Pink Crane powers the first time, you should still be closely linked to her. And Jason for obvious reasons." Three snickers were heard as Jason rolled his eyes.

"Funny."

"Do you think this is the only gift we have or do you think there's more?" Justin suddenly asked.

Three sets of eyes went from Tommy to Billy and back. "My hypothesis is that we may have more to wonder about," Billy started. "The display of power Kimberly made the morning Ninjor gave us our power coins would suggest that we each have other powers we have yet to tap into."

"Good thinking, Billy," Kim murmured, remembering all too clearly the incident at Billy's dad's that morning.

Tommy yawned. "Alright, everyone out. Beautiful, pick a movie and let's lay down."

Kim shut the door softly behind the three young men who stepped from the room and then proceeded to put the movie she'd picked into the DVD player. "Well?" Tommy asked softly.

"I picked The Musketeer." Tommy grinned. Kimberly liked the movies about the past almost as much as he did. "Tommy?"

"Hmm?" he asked as they settled down to watch the movie, Kim cuddling up next to him.

"Happy Fourth Of July," Kim murmured, turning her attention to the movie.


	3. Chapter 2: Coping Again

Return Of The Great Power  
Book 2 - Revelations  
Chapter 2: Coping Again  
Rating: MA  
By: Pink_Green_White_4ever  
Last Revised: December 20, 2004

"My darling girl, when are you going to understand that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage". ~~ Aunt Frances, from the movie "Practical Magic"

~*~

Angel Grove International Airport  
2:00 P.M.  
Tuesday  
July 16, 2002

"United Airlines, Flight 2412 from Los Angeles, now arriving at gate B13," an airline employee announced over the intercom to the people waiting in the terminal. Five minutes later, a stream of passengers disembarked from the large plane at the gate.

One of the last passengers to enter the airport was a tall, blonde haired, blue eyed young woman dressed in a pair of designer blue jeans, a white tank top, a pale pink over shirt, and a pair of pink tennis shoes, toting a small suitcase with wheels, a hot pink back pack and a slim, black briefcase. To most, she looked like a typical twenty-something young woman traveling, but she was anything but typical.

Once Katherine managed to get her bearings - she'd had more layovers and delays on this trip home then ever before - she looked around the gate area she'd walked off the plane into, searching for familiar faces. Her parents were out of town on their monthly retreat to Santa Barbara, so she knew they wouldn't be picking her up. Jason had told her the night before, during their conversation, that he'd be there to pick her up and take her home, and yet, the newly minted Green Morphin' Ranger and the love of Katherine's life was nowhere to be seen. Frowning, Katherine decided that she was self-sufficient enough to make her way down to the baggage carousels and get her luggage, her mind going over the appropriate scolding she was going to give her boyfriend when she saw him next.

Taking a deep breath, she started to move forward, turning the corner on her left, before she abruptly stopped. Staring back at her were her friends - Billy, Zack and Adam were smiling widely, holding up a huge white banner with orange writing that said 'Welcome Home Kat'. Trini, Aisha, and Tanya were holding several new stuffed animals that looked suspiciously like small versions of Kat's animal spirit, the Tiger, while Justin, Rocky and Kimberly stood to the other side of the sign, each holding a set of welcome home balloons. The two figures in the front - Tommy and Jason - were each holding a bouquet of flowers for her. Tommy's was an assortment of flora, including white, gold and pink roses, red, purple and yellow carnations, orange tiger lilies - which made Kat laugh - and to top it off, it was tied with beige, turquoise, black, and green ribbons.

Jason's flowers were simple - orange Roses and Tiger Lilies, with baby's breath accenting them. Tommy moved forward, handing her the flowers while taking her backpack, briefcase and suitcase, allowing her to walk to Jason. Throwing caution to the wind, Kat ran the last few steps to her boyfriend at full speed, jumping into his open arms. "Welcome home, Kat Lady!" Jason whispered in her ear before pulling back and giving her a smacking kiss on the lips.

"It's good to be home," Kat smiled, pulling back and accepting greetings from her other friends.

"Guys, let's go," Trini started. "I'm sure Kat's hungry and tired."

"You got that right, girlfriend."

~*~

Kwan-Taylor-Hillard Household  
2:45 P.M.

"Oh wow!" Kat gasped as Jason and Trini showed her into her room at the beach house.

The Asian woman smiled. "Zack's taken the basement, he's turning it into a bedroom and practice studio. I've got the other room up here, but we figured you'd like the master suite, all things considered." Kat didn't miss the snicker or the glare that was shared between Trini and Jason.

"Trini, you guys shouldn't have!"

Trini merely waved her off. "Get settled. Billy's ordering Chinese as we speak, then we'll have dinner and watch movies." That said, the Turquoise Ranger moved for the door, leaving Jason and Kat standing in the room all on their own.

~*~

3:15 P.M.

Jason and Kat wandered downstairs, hand in hand, searching for the others.

They found Billy, Trini, Zack, Adam and Tanya relaxing in the television room. Aisha and Rocky were in the dining room with Justin discussing teaching plans for Justin at Rocky's Dojo. And when the pair finally stepped out onto the back deck, they found Kim and Tommy standing on the beach below, wrapped in each other's arms. "They look happy," Kat murmured, leaning against Jason's shoulder, her arm around his waist.

"They're getting there," Jason smiled. "She still hasn't told him everything that happened, but he's working on her."

Kat nodded. "She's been through a lot, but Kim's the most resilient woman I've ever met."

"That she is," Jason chuckled. "Happy to be home?" he asked, pecking a kiss to her forehead.

"You have no idea. Could you do me a huge favor?" Kat started, raising her head to look into Jason's eyes.

"Anything."

"Stay with me tonight?" Jason looked slightly shocked. "Jase, I've missed you holding me. Just for tonight, stay with me," she pleaded.

Jason smiled and nodded, holding her tighter to his side. "Of course.

~*~

"Jason looks happy," Tommy smiled.

"So does Kat."

Nodding his agreement, Tommy tucked Kim closer into his side. "It's about time for them too, huh?"

Kim giggled. "He's always been the lone Ranger, no pun intended."

Tommy nodded. "Emily and him was just so brief that I'd have to agree with you there. It's funny how he seemed to be the only one of us that didn't have a steady girlfriend, or steady stream of girlfriends, during high school."

"I know. Scary thought, Billy had more dates then Jason." Tommy shook his head, laughing at her comment.

Kim sighed, loving the feel of his arms around her. "Are you happy?" Tommy suddenly asked.

Stunned, Kimberly looked up into his face to see if he was really serious or not. "Tommy? Of course I'm happy! I haven't been this happy since before I left the team. Why would you ask something like that?"

The look on Tommy's face nearly made Kim's heart shatter. "Kim."

He was scared - scared of losing her again, scared of losing what they had. It was the first time she had ever seen real fear in his eyes. "I love you, have always loved you. Don't doubt that. It's taken me nearly six years to figure out that you're the one, the only one."

Tommy nodded but deep down the fear still resided. He knew without a doubt he would never recover if he lost her a second time. "Guys! Dinner!" Jason called from the deck behind them.

Kim held out her hand, waiting for Tommy to take it. She smiled her brightest smile when his larger hand engulfed her smaller one. "I love you."

Tommy grinned. "I love you too."

~*~

6:00 P.M.

The group sighed as they plopped down in the television room. "Zack, I love your big screen," Kat laughed as Zack wiggled his eyebrows.

"Me too. So what do we want to watch?" Zack asked.

"Nothing scary, I'd like to sleep tonight," Kat muttered.

"And not Top Gun again, we've seen it a million times," Aisha complained, trying to get comfortable next to Rocky just in front of the loveseat, where Trini and Billy curled together.

"The Fast and The Furious," Zack laughed.

"Spider Man," Adam grinned.

"Braveheart," Tanya suggested, making the other girls sigh at the thought of Mel Gibson while the boys rolled their eyes.

Kat snuggled closer into Jason's side, her stomach settling from the food she'd just ate while the others went back and forth about which movie to watch.

"Independence Day." All eyes swung toward Justin.

"As if we don't fight enough alien ass, now you want to watch Will Smith do it too?" Rocky pondered as Justin shrugged.

Kim fixed Rocky with a glare. “Wasn’t it you who suggested going to see MIB II the other night?”

"Pearl Harbor," Kat put her two cents in, hoping to ward off a fight.

"Too sad," Rocky frowned. "Planet of the Apes?"

"Don't even think it, Ape Boy," Aisha fired back. "Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood."

"We are not watching a girlie movie!" Rocky argued.

Billy shook his head. "How about A Beautiful Mind?"

"Boogie Nights," Trini suggested, only to be hit with a barrage of pillows from the boys.

Jason shook his head. "Justin's too young for that one." At the Green Ranger's comment, Justin shot him a glare. "How about 13 Ghosts?"

"Too scary!" Kat and Kim spoke in unison.

Kimberly looked over the side of the recliner she and Tommy were sitting in at the movies on the floor before turning her attention back to Tommy. "Baby, what do you think?"

"I say Wind Talkers, but that's just me," Tommy laughed. "What about you, Beautiful?"

"The Musketeer," Kim started. "We all like martial arts, it's got some romance, it actually does have a decent story line and the actors and actresses aren't bad on the eyes either."

The others cracked up laughing. "The Musketeer it is," Zack started as he popped the dvd into the player.

~*~

9:30 P.M.

Justin and Rocky were leaning back against the wall behind Aisha's chair, Zack sat between Aisha and Trini, who conveniently was sitting in Billy's lap, and Tanya and Adam sat on the other side of the couple, mimicking the Blue and Turquoise Rangers' pose. Kimberly and Kat had taken the final two seats, with Jason and Tommy looming behind them. "Ok, T-man, spill it," Rocky started, urging Tommy to get on with this late night conversation.

"Well, we have something that needs group approval," Tommy spoke, watching several eyebrows go up. "When Justin and I stopped by my parents' house for dinner a few nights ago, my parents cornered me and asked me point blank what the heck was going on."

"What are you talking about?" Zack asked, looking up at Tommy in confusion.

"Seems my uncle and several other people have mentioned to them my disappearing act the last couple of weeks. You guys all know how my mom is, so guess what the first thing was she asked me?" Tommy watched his friends shrug, and then his eyes went to his girlfriend, who was shaking her head in disbelief.

"She asked if you were a Ranger again, didn't she?" Ten sets of eyes widened at the question that came from Kimberly's mouth.

"How would she know?" Tanya asked softly.

Kim chuckled at that. "Oh, Elizabeth had a pretty good idea right after Tommy suddenly developed an interest in green, and it didn't take her too long with the six of us hanging out together for her to come to a conclusion. You have to admit, being a Ranger makes you more prone to your color." The group nodded. "She asked Tommy point blank about it right after I lost my powers. I was with him the day it happened. While we told her we couldn't go into detail for her own safety, we pretty much gave her an answer."

"Bingo. The problem I see we're going to have is this - do we keep our identities a secret again and have those closest to us mad for our disappearing act, or do we break tradition and tell at least our parents?"

"Group vote?" Adam asked, which caused Tommy to nod.

"The only problem I see is Justin's parents," Katherine softly replied. "They're going to be terribly upset by this. I mean, all of the rest of our parents will accept it, they'll be mad when they find out we were Rangers before now, but they know we're all adults. Justin's parents aren't going to be as understanding." All eyes turned toward Justin.

The youngest Ranger nodded, swallowed, and then began to speak. "Kat's right, but they have a right to know what's going on, should we come to the decision to tell them."

Billy's voice brought the side discussions to a halt. "We need to tell them," he told the others. "It's not a matter of us being too young, because really, none of us are, including Justin. He's the same age most of us were when we first became Rangers. All of us have seen and experienced far too much to not tell them. Besides, I think it'll make covering for our sudden disappearances easier."

The group consensus was agreement to Billy's reasoning. "Then I'm going to make a command decision here," Tommy began. "Use your best judgment, but those of you who want to tell your parents, go ahead and do so."

Zack, Aisha, Rocky, Kat, Billy, Trini, Jason, Tanya and Adam nodded. Justin swallowed but then nodded as well. All eyes went to where Kimberly sat unmoving. "Beautiful?"

"I'm not telling my parents," Kimberly finally responded. "They'd never understand, for starters. Second, they'd never accept it as a part of who and what I am." At that, Kim's eyes rose from looking at the table to look at each of her teammates. Because she couldn't see Tommy, she grabbed his hand, which was resting on her shoulder, gave it a squeeze, and continued. "Third, they haven't cared enough about my life the last couple of years, not really, for this to be something I could share with them. After the incident with Mike, they pretty much dropped out of sight. I will not endanger our lives, or theirs, by telling them."

Jason bent down between Kim and Kat's chairs, his hand resting on Kimberly's arm. "It's your decision, Kim," Jason told her softly. "I'd like all of you there when I tell my parents, though. They care about, and love, all of you just as much as they do me."

"We could have a small gathering at the house," Billy suggested. "Invite everyone's parents, tell them at once."

"I'd like to tell my parents in the next couple of days, but I'm sure they won't mind showing up for moral support," Tommy verbalized his thoughts.

Standing, Jason cleared his throat. "So are we all in agreement?" The room remained silent, but eleven other heads nodded.

~*~

2:00 A.M.  
Wednesday  
July 17, 2002

"Must be nice to be able to pick your girlfriend up if and when you want to," Rocky grumbled at Tommy as the Red Ranger attempted to wake up the sleeping Aisha.

"You could pick Sha up if you tried," Tommy shot back.

"She'd kick my ass if I did."

Tommy laughed, cradling his Pink Princess in his arms on the couch. After their group meeting, most everyone else had either gone home or disappeared upstairs. Jason and Kat were in one of the recliners, Rocky and Aisha had taken up residence on the loveseat when Billy and Trini had headed to bed, and Tommy and Kim had claimed the couch, with Justin sitting on the floor in front of them

"I'm staying here tonight, and so is Billy. All you've got to worry about is Justin and Kim."

Tommy nodded in Jason's direction. "Just, you ready to leave?"

"Yeah," came the yawned reply. Tommy got to his feet, keeping Kim close to his body. Justin took the keys to Tommy's Navigator and rushed ahead to unlock the doors while Tommy said goodbye to the others.

~*~

Kat’s Room  
2:30 A.M.

Kat yawned softly as she snuggled into the covers of her bed. Between the jet lag, dinner, and watching movies with her friends, she was practically dead on her feet. 'I am so happy to be home, in my own bed' she sighed mentally.

When her bathroom door opened, her eyes popped open. A gentle smiled played across her features as she caught sight of Jason, dressed in nothing but a pair of green boxers. "You still awake?" Jason questioned as he crawled under the covers and pulled her into his arms.

"Barely." Jason chuckled. She sounded so tired.

"Go to sleep, Kitty," he murmured in her ear, his arms holding her close to his chest.

~*~

Trini's Room

Billy looked around Trini's room and nodded his approval. "You like it?" Trini asked, as she got ready for bed. Her room had been done in an underwater theme with dolphins, whales, and other sea creatures. It had taken Kimberly nearly three days to finish the mural.

"It is quite tasteful, Trini," he told her before he moved to his side of her bed. "Did Kimberly help with it?"

Trini nodded. "Took her three days to do it. Don't tell me you're gonna sleep in your clothes?" Trini asked, looking at Billy, who was pulling the covers down on his side. He was still dressed in his jeans and polo shirt.

"No, I do not sleep in clothes, but tonight I think it best if I at least slept in my boxers." Billy watched in amused fascination as Trini blushed.

"You're probably right." With that, Trini slid under the covers. Billy joined her a moment later, pulling her close to him as they settled down for the night.

~*~

Tanya and Adam’s Apartment

"Adam!" Tanya's breathy exclamation filled the air of their bedroom. Her arms were locked around Adam's neck and her legs held tightly to his waist.

After they'd gotten home, they'd felt the sudden need to make love to one another. Adam moved slowly, trying to draw out their pleasure instead of rushing headlong into it. It still amazed him that when he was with Tanya, their bodies intertwined as they were now, that being together intimately was still as magical as the first time.

After they'd both reached the highest point of pleasure, they settled down to sleep. Tanya sighed, her fingers curling into Adam's hair. They'd been so busy the last few days, she thought, that they hadn't had time to partake in such activities. "Better?" she questioned softly, a smile on her face.

Adam sighed happily. "Yeah. You?"

Tanya giggled. "I'm more relaxed than I have been in days."

Adam smiled against her skin, as he had his head resting on her chest, before he leaned up and pecked a kiss to her lips. He rolled off her and onto the bed, carefully pulling her into his arms.

~*~

Rocky’s Apartment

"Love you," Rocky murmured softly in Aisha's ear as they settled down to sleep in his room.

"Love you too," Aisha whispered back, enjoying having Rocky spooned behind her, his strong arms wrapped around her in protection. She lay awake for the longest time afterward, simply basking in his presence before she dropped into oblivion.

~*~

Cranston-Scott-Oliver Household  
3:20 A.M.

Tommy lay with his right hand propping his head up as he stared down at Kimberly's sleeping form. She'd had a massive nightmare in the truck on the way home. Tommy knew he'd been lucky that they'd been pulling into the driveway with the way she'd scared him and Justin by yelling and thrashing in her seat as she had. 'God, Kim, what aren't you telling me?' he thought silently.

When Kimberly shifted in her sleep, he snapped from his thoughts. She was wearing a silk nightshirt, which was now tight across her chest because of how she was laying. Tommy felt his boxers tighten when he saw that whatever she was dreaming about had cause her nipples to stiffen into tiny points.

If seeing his girlfriend aroused like that wasn't enough, Tommy got a shock when Kim's legs intertwined with his and he felt her wet panties against his thigh.

"Tommy," she moaned softly, shifting her body slightly.

Tommy groaned with his appreciation and the effort he was exerting to not touch and take advantage of her in her sleep. "Kimberly," he leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Beautiful."

Her eyes opened, and Tommy saw the dreams slowly clearing from the beloved brown depths. "Tommy," she moaned again, finally realizing what she'd done in her sleep.

Smiling, Tommy brushed her bangs away from her face. "Good dream this time?" he asked, his smile turning from amused to roughish. Kimberly had the grace to blush at his comment.

"The best," she whispered. "Sorry if I molested you in my sleep."

Tommy shook his head at her. "I don't mind." Kim's eyes widened considerably as Tommy's hand caressed her thigh. "Do you mind?"

Kimberly could only shake her head as he continued to touch her lovingly. It had been a long time, years in fact, since she'd been touched intimately and hadn't had fear clutch her insides. "I don't want to scare you."

"You aren't," she bit back a moan as she answered him, her body straining towards his like it hadn't since their teenage years.

"Kim?"

"Tommy, please," she pleaded softly.

Leaning forward, Tommy kissed her, and then slid his fingers under the silk that hid her center. Kim's body arched when she felt his fingers against her core. "You're so wet, Beautiful," Tommy murmured against her lips, amazed to feel her as he hadn't since their last Christmas together.

Kimberly felt alarmed at her allowance of Tommy touching her so, but her heart soared. He was being so tender and patient with her. "Oh God! Tommy!" she gasped. Kim hadn't realized until just now, how much she wanted to be this intimate with him again, especially considering what had happened with Mike.

Tommy's fingers stroked her insides, his thumb caressing the little nub of nerves that had her lithe body coming up off the bed in an uncontrollable bucking motion. Before Kimberly had a chance to take it all in, her muscles contracted in climax. "Tommy!" her voice came out, hitched with emotion. Tommy smiled at her as he continued to stroke her center until she had calmed down.

"Feel better?" Kimberly could only nod, noticing briefly the smirk on his face. "Good."

"Tommy," she started, finally able to move so that they were heart to heart.

"I don't have any," Tommy murmured painfully. He wanted nothing more than to ease himself into her, as he hadn't since that last Christmas, but he wouldn't risk getting her pregnant, not now that they were once again on active duty.

"What about you?" she breathlessly asked, feeling his arousal against her stomach.

Tommy smiled and kissed her cheek. "I'll be okay," he told her, though he knew he really wouldn't. He'd wait until she was asleep before he stole away into the bathroom to take care of his problem.

"Lay on your back," Kim firmly told him, not giving him any room to argue.

"Kim!" he cried out when she yanked his boxers down and quickly wrapped her mouth around his manhood. Tommy had only dreamt about her doing this for years; he'd never actually expected her to do it for real.

Kim put what little knowledge she had about giving oral pleasure to work. By the way Tommy's hips started moving, she knew she must have been doing something right.

Tommy's mind completely shut down except for thinking about his Kimberly giving him head. Not in a million years did he think it would feel this good. When they'd been together before, they had never ventured beyond normal intercourse. "Oh God!" he whined softly, digging his fingers into Kim's silky locks, holding her close to him.

When she felt the slightly salty liquid coming from his tip, Kim smiled. Knowing instinctively that he was near completion, she began to caress him faster and harder with her lips and tongue, all the while pumping her hand up and down the rest of his length.

Tommy gave a strangled cry when he finally hit flash point. Kim grinned against him, keeping her mouth around him until he stopped shaking. While Tommy lay on the bed, resting, Kimberly snuck into the bathroom to rinse out her mouth with mouthwash and brush her teeth. When she returned, Tommy opened his eyes and looked up at her lovingly. "Better?" she giggled. Tommy took a shuddering breath and nodded.

"Kimberly."

Suddenly, it seemed as though Kimberly had lost whatever nerve she'd worked up. She knew, though, that if she didn't do it now, she'd never be able to tell him. "Tommy."

"What's wrong, Beautiful?"

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Kim took a deep breath and started talking. "I'm ready to tell you what happened."

Tommy saw the fear, the sadness in her eyes. "You don't have to do that if you really aren't ready."

Kim nodded but continued. "If you and I are going to go further physically, I have to." Tommy remained silent and supportive as Kim crawled onto the bed and cuddled into his arms. "I don't want to get into great detail, cause I know that I'm not ready for that, but I'm ready to tell you."

"Beautiful, you know I'm here for you, and I love you. Always and forever."

"I know." Taking a deep breath, she started. "Mike and I never got intimate, you were my only, and the night he put me into a coma, he raped me."

Kim sniffled when Tommy's arms tightened around her. "Oh God, Kimberly," he choked out. "Why didn't you tell me before I touched you? I don't want to hurt you, ever."

Shifting, Kimberly looked up into his eyes. "I love you, now and always. You couldn't hurt me, that's why I told you now. There's more, but you get the jest."

Tommy held her as tight as he could without hurting her. "I love you, and I will help you get passed this."

"You have been," Kim murmured, falling back asleep.

~*~

A horn honking in the distance caused Kimberly to jerk awake. "Oh no!" Kim cried softly, noting the time on the clock. It had been just after three when she and Tommy had crawled into bed, the clock on the DVD player read quarter after four in the morning. "It was a dream, everything that just happened was a dream!"

Tommy was instantly awake when Kimberly started shuddering and crying. Not sure what was happening, the White Ranger reached out to pull her into his arms and gasped when his girlfriend recoiled from him in alarm. "Kim? Beautiful? What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" she sobbed, stumbling from the bed toward the bathroom, where she slammed the door shut before sliding down it to sit on the floor, her arms wrapped around her legs and her head buried in her knees.

"Kimberly!" Tommy called out, pounding on the door softly. "Come on, Baby, open the door and tell me what's wrong."

"Go away!"

"Kim?"

~*~

Kwan-Taylor-Hillard Household  
7:00 A.M.

"Is she ok?" Jason asked, answering his cell phone as he sat up against the headboard of Kat's bed.

"She says she is, but it makes me wonder," Tommy told him. "She won't talk to me, and after she woke up, she stayed up."

"What time was that?"

"A little after four. She's been going a mile a minute since. She's cleaned the kitchen, all the bathrooms, the living room, the television room, and she's working on the weight room as we speak."

"Damn. Have you tried poking into her head?" Jason asked, referring to the team's new mental link with each other.

"I thought about it, but it's an invasion of her privacy, and we all agreed not to use our powers like that."

Jason sighed. He knew Tommy was right, but when it came to his little sister, he'd go to any length to make sure she was ok. "Look, I'll talk to Trini when she gets up. Maybe she can call and talk to Kim."

"I hope so, Jase. I hate seeing her like this."

"I know. I'll call for a status report in a bit, k?"

"Sure. Later."

Jason shut his phone off and leaned his head back. "What's wrong?" Katherine asked as she sat up, touching Jason's wrist softly.

"Kim woke up at four o'clock this morning from a nightmare and won't go back to sleep. Tommy says she's on a cleaning binge and that she won't tell him what's wrong."

"I'm sure Trini's up by now," Kat looked into his eyes, letting him know she'd heard his suggestion to Tommy. "Why don't we go talk to her?"

Jason nodded. "She's worrying me, Kat. Kim's never like this unless the problem is overwhelming her."

Katherine smiled gently for him. "I know. Let's go."

~*~

Trini's Office  
10:30 A.M.

Trini sat at her desk, gazing at a picture of her and Kimberly and Aisha shortly after Kim had gotten out of the hospital. Shaking her head, the raven haired Ranger grabbed the headset of her phone and dialed Kim's cell number, not wanting to let Tommy or Justin know she was trying to pry information out of the distraught Pink Ranger.

"Kimberly Hart speaking."

"Hey Shorty," Trini greeted, hoping to ease Kim's mind about the sudden call.

"Long Legs, what's up?" Kim asked with a giggled. On the surface, Trini noted, everything seemed fine. However, years of friendship and closeness afforded Trini the ability to hear the small hitch in Kim's voice.

"What's going on with you?" Trini demanded softly, quickly getting to the point. If she were to beat around the bush about this, Kim would stall for time in telling her what was wrong. "You've got Kat, Jase and T-man freaking out. I had a pow-wow in my room this morning before I'd even opened my eyes."

Kim sighed. She really hadn't wanted to talk about it. "It wasn't a nightmare, per say."

"What was it?"

"In my dream, I finally told Tommy about what happened; he was so understanding. Then I woke up and found him sound asleep next to me and the clock was only like an hour passed when we'd gotten home and into bed. I freaked."

Trini sighed on the other end. She had a feeling it had to do with Florida. "Let me guess, you lost your nerve to tell him?"

"Trini, I wanted nothing more than to let him take all the pain and fear away like only he can."

"You need to tell him."

"I know. He's so mad at me right now," Kim sniffed.

"No, he's not. He's upset that you won't tell him, he's worried that he's done something wrong, and he's anxious because he can't seem to figure out a way to fix whatever's upsetting you," Trini sighed in exasperation. When it came to Tommy in moments like this, Kimberly could be infuriatingly naïve sometimes. "Might I suggest dinner for two so you can explain the situation to him? Jason said he was really hurt."

"I know why too. It was more than me not telling him what was wrong."

"What then?"

"I wouldn't let him touch me," Kim whispered. "Otherwise, I knew I'd crumble."

"Kim."

~*~

Cranston-Scott-Oliver Household  
12:30 P.M.

Tommy eyed her carefully as she made him and Justin some lunch. Ever since Trini's call, she'd been acting more and more normal. "Justin, why don't you take your lunch in the other room and watch a movie."

"Sure." The younger Ranger knew his teammates and friends needed time to talk.

"Tommy," Kim started as she turned to him. Tommy was out of his chair in under a second, arms wrapped around her.

"Beautiful."

"I'm sorry about my attitude this morning, but I knew if you'd touched me before I calmed down, I'd have lost it."

Tommy kissed the top of her head and let her talk. "Does it have to do with whatever you haven't told me about the incident with Mike?"

"Yes," Kim choked. Tommy sighed. He knew she'd had an extraordinary amount of trauma she'd gone through during their separation, but this was bordering on insane. If she kept this bottled inside, Tommy knew, she'd only continue to have trouble getting passed it. However, he also knew that pushing her to tell him wasn't the answer.

"I'm not going to push you, but I want you to know I'm here if you need to talk."

"Thank you," Kim told him, looking up into those loving chocolate brown eyes of his. Seeing the need in her eyes, Tommy leaned down and kissed her lips, softly at first but with increasing passion. Although he could sense her hesitancy, Tommy could feel her desire for him overriding it. He was only slight startled by the intensity of what he was feeling from her over their link. Years apart could not temper what had been there from the start, they had only managed to increase it in depth and intensity.

"Leave lunch until later," Tommy groaned against her lips. "Let's go upstairs and lay down for a few."

When Kimberly pulled back, she was grinning from ear to ear. "You sure?"

"Yeah." Laughing, the pair quickly put away lunch and then raced up the stairs to their room.

~*~

3:00 P.M.

"Well?" Jason asked when Tommy plopped down on the couch next to Kat.

Tommy's chocolate eyes took in his friend's green clad form before he answered him. Jason, like the others, was anxious to know if things were okay between their Pink and White Rangers. "She's asleep," Tommy yawned, finally feeling the emotional and physical strain. "We talked. She explained what was going on this morning but still hasn't told me what happened."

"She probably won't for a while," Trini spoke softly from her spot curled up in Billy's lap in a recliner. "She told me her dream made her loose her nerve."

"I don't want to push her, but I need to know so I can help," Tommy argued.

"Tommy, there isn't anything you can do," Aisha said as she walked in from the kitchen and handed him a can of Pepsi. "She's got to work through this on her own. All any of us can do is make sure she knows we're here, that we're not going anywhere, and that we love her."

"I hate being helpless like this, especially where she's concerned."

"We know," Billy told him.

"TOMMY!"

The group looked shocked as Kim's terrified cry rang through the house. Tommy shot up off the couch and took the stairs three at a time.

~*~

4:45 A.M.  
Thursday  
July 18, 2002

Tommy held her to him as she slept. She hadn't slept much, having woken every hour or so from a nightmare. He was glad she was asleep now, and even more grateful he didn't have a class until six in the evening. "Beautiful, I wish there was something I could do to help."

Tommy smiled when Kimberly snuggled closer to him in her sleep. "Tommy," she murmured in her sleep. Tommy smiled as her legs intertwined with his own.

The young man sighed as he felt his body start to betray him in response to Kimberly's closeness. It didn't help when he could feel her arousal through her thin, lacey panties. "God, Kim, you're torturing me," Tommy muttered before closing his eyes in an attempt to go to sleep.

Only when she felt his body relax, did Kim open her eyes. She looked at him and smiled sadly. "I'm trying, Baby, really, I am. Thank you for being patient with me." With that, Kim laid her head on Tommy's chest and tried to go to sleep.

~*~

7:30 A.M.

"I feel like crap," Trini muttered as she trudged into the kitchen. Justin, Kat and Kimberly were already up and making breakfast. "Curse you morning people!"

Justin blinked in shock while Kat and Kim laughed. "Sit, Trini, I'll get you some coffee," Kim told her, moving from the stove to the cabinet to get a cup then to the coffee maker on the counter, pouring the dark liquid into the cup before handing it to the grumpy Turquoise Ranger.

"Pink, I owe you one!" Trini cried out in content as the coffee slid down her throat. "Ah, caffeine!"

The trio making breakfast laughed. "So, who do you think will be up first?" Kat suddenly questioned.

"Billy." Kim smiled. "Other than me, he's the only other early riser living in this house."

"Yeah," Justin chimed in. "Normally, I'm still asleep." Justin grinned.

"Alright, pancakes or waffles?" Kim asked as she sat the bacon on a plate of paper towels then placed the plate in the microwave before turning to look at the others.

"Waffles!" the trio chorused. Kim laughed, heading to the freezer, where she pulled a box from inside. Popping four into the toaster, Kim turned to start making the eggs.

"Good morning," Billy and Jason called out as the pair entered the kitchen together. Billy immediately went over and pecked a kiss to Trini's head before heading for the cabinet for cups for him and Jason.

"Morning!" Kat chirped, kissing Jason on the lips when he was close enough.

"So how long before Tommy wakes up?" Justin joked.

"It'll be after lunch, more than likely. He didn't fall asleep until about five this morning."

"Why so late?" Trini asked, buttering her waffles and dousing them in syrup.

"He stayed up and watched over me," Kim informed them. "I had a couple more nightmares last night."

Kat frowned. "You should see someone about that."

"What am I gonna tell a doctor? Oh hey, by the way, I use to be the Pink Ranger, but I lost my powers, then gave them up after I got them back to go train for Pan Globals in Florida, where I fell for an asshole who nearly killed me. And to top it off, I'm the Pink Ranger again and I still can’t find a way to tell the man I love what happened to me." The group stared at Kim as she sat down and dug into her eggs and bacon.

Kat blinked then chuckled. "Good point."

Kim grinned, feeling content enough to be able to joke with her friends again. "They'd throw me in a padded room for sure."

"Morning." The group of six turned to stare at Tommy, who stood in the doorway half dressed and still partially asleep.

"Morning Baby," Kim greeted, moving from her seat to where he stood. "Hungry?"

"Yep," Tommy mumbled, moving with her so that they met halfway. When she was close enough, he pecked a kiss to the top of her head. Needing more contact, Kimberly wrapped her arms around his waist and cuddled close to him.

"Are you even awake, Bro?" Jason finally asked.

Tommy rolled his eyes and yawned. "Barely, but I promised Uncle John I'd come help with that new car today."

Kim frowned as she craned her neck so she could look into Tommy's eyes. "Tommy, you haven't gotten enough sleep to go drive a car."

"Good thing I'm not driving one, huh?" he grinned down at her. It warmed him that she was worried about him.

"Huh?"

"Working on the motor and the decals for Chris' car. Can you drive me? I know you and Sha were gonna go hang out together."

Kim laughed, letting a wicked grin spread across her face. "Sure. Does that mean I get to drive that nice Navigator of yours?"

Shaking his head, Tommy replied, "I suppose it does, seeing how you don't have a car." When Kim's face lit up like a child's at Christmas, Tommy grinned.

"Enough mush!" Justin grumbled, bouncing a waffle off of Tommy's head. "Let's eat already!" Tommy looked put out at Justin's betrayal, which only caused the others to laugh.

~*~

The Command Chamber  
9:00 A.M.

"I'm picking something up on the scanner," Alpha 6 suddenly informed his fellow robot. "It appears to be a large ship, which is orbiting Earth."

"Why didn't it register before now?" Alpha 5's sharp question had Alpha 6 looking up at him.

"Cloaking device, more than likely."

Alpha 5 stared at the screen where the readings were appearing. "Keep monitoring it. If something changes, alert the Rangers."

Alpha 6 shook his head and looked back to his console. "You got it, 5."

~*~

Angel Grove Lake  
2:30 P.M.

"It's so nice out!" Kim happily sighed as she and Aisha lounged on the beach at Angel Grove Lake. They had spent the better part of the morning browsing the mall, trying to get ideas for their rooms at the base as well as the rooms at the Boys' house that Kimberly had to decorate. They'd also looked into a vehicle for Kimberly, but until she got some money that was pretty much a no go.

"No kidding. This is how our last summer together should have gone." Aisha suddenly bit her lip, knowing that the summer before their senior year held painful memories for her friend. Admittedly, it held some very painful memories for Aisha herself, as she'd lost and gained so much in those short months.

"You aren't joking!" Kim laughed. "Too bad everyone else had to work."

Aisha laughed. "Speaking of work. My dad brought something to my attention yesterday when I went over."

"What?"

Aisha grinned. "There's a building, not far from Rocko's Dojo. It's for sale, and it's big enough for a moderate sized gym, a small interior design business and possibly a vet's office."

Kim looked at Aisha like she was nuts. "Aisha, it's impossible."

"We could make it work," Aisha argued. "A couple of the vets I worked with during school are looking to open another location. I could work part time with them and run the office of the design business the rest of the time. That would free you up to do gymnastics during the week and design on the weekends."

Kim considered. Aisha's idea was very enticing, however, practicality reared its ugly head. "One question."

"Hmm?"

"How are we going to pay for all of this?"

"Investors and loans," Aisha spoke seriously. Kim could tell she'd thought this through. "We could pull this off. Besides, it's not like you're going to need all that much in the way of equipment for the gym. You've always said you don't plan to train would-be Olympians if you opened your own place."

Kim nodded. "That's true. I want to train beginners. They're so much more fun then the elite gymnasts I've been working with the last couple of years."

"See," Aisha gestured her hands to make her point. "I've already talked to my parents, Grandma, and Aunt Tina. They said they'd loan us some money."

Kimberly looked thoughtful as she pondered Aisha's suggestion. "Let's look into this before we completely decide what we're gonna do, ok?"

Aisha's smile grew; Kim was hooked. "You got it."

~*~

Ivan’s Ship  
Same Time

"Elgar, Porto, Rygog, report to the bridge!" Divatox screeched, causing her three lackeys to scurry from their quarters to the bridge.

"Auntie D, what's up?" Elgar grinned.

When the three spotted Ivan and Maligore standing together, they stared to quake in fear. "Take this device, imbeciles!" Ivan growled, thrusting the handheld device at Porto. "Go to Angel Grove Lake, distract those two wretched female power geeks, and use this to start polluting the water."

"Is there a particular reason you want us to do this?" Rygog asked, not seeing the point in something so mundane.

"BECAUSE I SAID SO!" The three disappeared in a flash of light. "Now, let's study those wretched Rangers."

~*~

Angel Grove Lake  
3:00 P.M.

"Unsuspecting humans!" Elgar grumbled as he, Porto, and Rygog spied on the two female Rangers camped out on the lake's beach. 'Sure are ugly! I wish they'd put their clothes back on.'

"I don't see why Goldar and the others couldn't handle this!" Rygog hissed.

"Because, Lord Ooze has sent them quite a few times already, and they can't get the job done," Porto rolled his eyes at them. "My scientific guess would be that he believes we can do better."

"Fine!" Elgar sighed.

"ATTACK!" Rygog commanded. The three began shooting energy bolts at the beach-goers.

"Damn!" Aisha gasped as she and Kimberly rolled to avoid the blasts. "Who are they?"

Kim looked up, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the three goons. "Divatox's henchmen, Rygog, Elgar and Porto!" Kim hissed as she and Aisha pushed up from their stomachs and dropped into fighting stances.

"Well, lookie here!" Elgar grinned. "You're that cream puff that ruined Auntie D's wedding to The Flame of Destruction."

"And you're that ugly ass who tried to feed me to a volcano," Kim shot back, and then turned to Rygog. "And you're the ass who did feed me to that lava-headed freak."

"I'll do it again, as soon as I get my hands on you."

"Back off!" Aisha hissed.

Rygog pushed Elgar at Aisha while he went after Kimberly, leaving Porto to carry out their plan to pollute the lake. "Damn!" Kim cursed as Rygog sent her skidding across the cement walkway.

"K, you alright?" Aisha called out as she kicked Elgar into the sand.

Kimberly struggled to her hands and knees, feeling her back scream in pain as she did so. Her head snapped up when she head Aisha scream out as Elgar and Rygog double-teamed her. "Sha!" Kim cried. Summoning all her abilities to block the pain from her body, Kim pushed herself to her feet. Taking a deep breath, Kimberly charged the ugly duo.

"No fair!" Elgar grumbled when Kim knocked him aside before attacking Rygog.

"Fair?" Kim growled angrily, turning on him. "Was it fair to double team an unarmed fighter?"

"She's a power geek!" Elgar argued.

"And you're an evil alien asshole bent on taking over Earth, so deal with it!" Kim yelled at him while dodging Rygog's attacks.

"Kim, we're out numbered and out gunned," Aisha gasped.

Kim nodded. "Let's do it!"

"NINJA RANGER POWER!" the two girls called out in unison.

"The Crane!"

"The Bear!"

Divatox's two idiots merely laughed at the two female Rangers. "They think they can take us on!" Elgar grinned.

"Careful Sha," Kimberly cautioned. Aisha nodded her understanding.

Fluidly, the two girls moved with familiarity and the ease of knowing each other's styles. However, three against two, even if Porto wasn't directly attacking them, left the girls tired, out numbered, and open to sneak attacks. "Alpha! We need help!" Aisha called into her communicator.

Suddenly, the Yellow Ninja felt herself flying through the air, thanks to Elgar, who had sucker punched her. However, she didn't land in the sand but in a pair of familiar arms. Looking up, Aisha smiled beneath her mask. "Nice timing, Jason."

"You're welcome, Sha."

Kimberly's scream of pain snapped the Yellow and Green Ninjas back to the present. "Divatox," Aisha supplied as he put her down.

Jason didn't even hear her because he was already running toward the fallen Pink Ninja. Rygog stumbled back several feet when Jason's green booted foot landed a strike dead center of his chest. "Pesky Ranger!"

"Kiss my ass!" Jason shot back as he spun around in a roundhouse kick that knocked Rygog to the ground.

"Jason!" Kim called out as he looked down at her. "Aisha's in trouble." Both Ninjas turned their head just in time to see Aisha hit the sand, hard, after attempting to stop Porto from getting to the water.

"Guys! He's trying to pollute the lake!" Aisha gasped.

"You help Aisha, I can handle Porto," Kim muttered.

"You sure?"

"You know I can!" Kim grinned under her head. Ignoring the pain in her back, the Pink Ninja pushed off the ground and ran toward Porto. The green dressed man noticed the way she moved and knew she was hurting. Unfortunately, he needed to turn his attention to the alien menace that Aisha was currently facing.

While the Green and Yellow Ninjas took on Elgar and Rygog, the Pink Ninja got between Porto and the water. "Don't even think it," the Pink Ninja growled in warning.

"We'll see!" Porto shot back. Right when he was about to fire the device in his hands, Kimberly stopped him.

"Pink Crane Tessens!" Instantly the steel fans were in Kimberly's hands. With an impressive amount of hand movement, the Pink Ninja twirled the fans in front of her, the edge of the one in her right hand slicing through Porto's device.

"No!"

Kim chuckled. "Oops, sorry." When a sudden rumbling caused Kim to gasp, Porto began laughing. Swallowing hard, the pink clad woman turned and saw that both Elgar and Rygog were now the size of the Mega Zords.

"Damn!" Jason winced, raising his wrist so he could talk into it. "Alpha 6, summon the others! We've got BIG trouble."

"Jase?" Aisha's trembling voice questioned as she and Kim grouped with their Green leader.

"It's Morphin' Time!" Jason called as the trio of Rangers assumed their morphing stance.

"PINK RANGER POWER!"

"YELLOW RANGER POWER!"

"GREEN RANGER POWER!"

Once the three were morphed, they nodded to each other. "We need Ninja Zord Power Now!"

"Ninja Crane Zord!" Kim called her zord, laughing as the familiar pink and white form flew into view.

"Ninja Bear Zord!" Aisha's helmet hid her grin when the black and yellow zord came rumbling onto the scene.

"Ninja Dragon Zord!" Jason swallowed hard as the new yet increasingly familiar form of his zord appeared, followed by a roar that made his ears ring.

The three Rangers jumped from the ground to their Zords, smiling to themselves as their chairs slid into position in their individual cockpits. "Jason, I don't see the others yet," Kim informed him as she fired up her weapons system and turned on her targeting scanners.

"Then we stall till they get here!" Jason's voice floated over the speakers in the cockpit of the Crane Ninja Zord.

"Easier said then done," Aisha replied, maneuvering her zord near their enemies.

Jason chuckled. "Well, give me a minute and I'll make it easier." The two female Rangers pondered that until they saw what Jason was talking about. "Green Dragon, Warrior Mode!"

The girls gasped and stared in wonder and amusement as the Dragon went from dragon mode to warrior mode. "Cool!" Aisha laughed. She remembered, just as she was sure Kim did, that Jason and Rocky's Red Dragon Thunder Zord had done the same thing.

"I didn't know that was possible with your Ninja Zord!" Kim cracked.

"Sis, we're Power Rangers, if there's anything I've learned from that, it's that anything's possible." The two girls rolled their eyes at the Green Ranger's words.

"Smart ass," Kim muttered before Aisha interrupted her.

"Here comes back up!" Aisha informed them as the other Zords came into view.

"I'm on my own," Jason told the girls as only four Zords could be made out - the Falcon, the Frog, the Ape, and the Wolf.

"You gonna be ok?" Kim suddenly asked, her voice filled with worry.

"I'll be fine. Get going."

Just when Jason was left to plan his battle strategy, Tommy's voice came across the communications system. "Jason, prepare for Falcon Zord docking sequence."

"Huh?" Jason asked, and then he saw the sequence appear on the monitor to his right. The Falcon Zord would dock on the back of the Dagon Zord, making Jason's machine appear as though it now had wings. "Whoa!" the Green Ranger cried as his chair began moving back. He was transported, much like during the Mega Zord sequence, to the chest of his zord where he and Tommy met.

"Ready?"

"What the hell?" Jason squeaked.

Tommy grinned. "Welcome to the Dragon Falcon MegaZord. Alpha 6 told me about it on my way over."

"Nice!" Jason quipped. "Won't the others need you though?"

"Nope. As long as the Falcon Zord is on, they're fine," Tommy laughed. "Besides, Kimberly's more than capable of piloting the MegaZord while the others take care of the rest of the systems." Jason nodded. "Ready to take out Diva Snot's goons?"

The two MegaZords began battling Elgar and Rygog. While they were doing that, the other five Rangers were on the ground trying to stop Porto.

"Purple Panther Rapier!"

"Orange Tiger Long Bow!"

"Gold Eagle Battle Axe!"

"Beige Puma Lance!"

"Turquoise Gazelle Glaive!"

Porto raised an eyebrow, suddenly seriously re-thinking his plan as the five Rangers stood with their weapons at the ready. "Later Rangers!" That said, Porto disappeared.

"You know, the bad guys are cowards!" Justin huffed as the five Rangers turned their attention to the Zord battle that was still going on.

~*~

Ivan’s Ship  
Same Time

"Cowards! That pitiful little power brat called us cowards!" Rita screeched.

"We'll show young Justin what it means to be a real coward," Ivan grinned. "For now, call back Rygog and Elgar."


	4. Chapter 3: Team Casulaties

Return Of The Great Power  
Book 2 – Revelations  
Chapter 3: Team Casualties  
By: Pink_Green_White_4ever  
Last Revised: January 28, 2005

"You don't stop loving someone; you only get used to living without them there." ~~ Source Unknown

~*~

9:30 P.M.  
Friday  
August 2, 2002  
Red Ninja Martial Arts

“Class dismissed,” Rocky called out as his students began making their ways into the locker rooms to change before heading home. The Red Ranger was almost positive that his staff had gone home for the day an hour before until he heard the sound of a piano being played. Rocky scrunched his face up in confusion, knowing with certainty that there was no piano in his dojo, then set off from the main gym room to find the source of the music after the last of his students had exited the dojo’s main doors. What he found made his eyes water slightly.

In one of the smaller gyms, the familiar figure of a petite woman, dressed in a pink and black leotard, gracefully moved with the music blaring from the portable radio in front of her. Smiling, Rocky folded his arms across his chest, leaned against the doorframe, and watched her move with a sureness he’d never seen in her before when she had performed martial arts. The words of the song she’d chosen made him smile; the song reminded him of Kimberly.

**  
People fill their lives, with empty nights,  
And days that slip away  
Some search till the end of time, but never find,  
The open arms of fate  
One moment comes along, someone who's a dream to you,  
All at once your dreams come true

Once in a lifetime, you find the one you really love  
For now and forever, one love that never ends  
Once in a lifetime, when every star that lights the sky  
Will shine with one reason, leading your heart to the one love you find  
Just once in a lifetime

Some people live their lives in compromise,  
And hide their dreams away  
Some never take the chance, within their hands,  
To claim the prize they make  
When faith is all you need, to hold the hand of destiny,  
Find the love that's meant to be

Once in a lifetime, you find the one you really love  
For now and forever, one love that never ends  
Once in a lifetime, when every star that lights the sky  
Will shine with one reason, leading your heart to the one love you find  
Just once in a lifetime

If you believe in the power of love  
And you believe that dreams come true  
Magic will fill your heart, when that moment comes along  
Just once in a lifetime  
Once in a lifetime, when every star that lights the sky  
Will shine with one reason, leading you home to the one love you find  
Just once in a lifetime, just once in a lifetime  
**

Rocky watched his friend move through the kata she was performing, her strength and the fluidness of her motions led him to believe that Jason had been correct in assuming Kimberly had studied martial arts with someone while she’d been in Florida. While he and the others had taught her as much as they could, she’d never really made time before to devote herself to the study of martial arts, not when gymnastics, being a Ranger, and dating Tommy had taken up what little time school left over. It seemed to Rocky, that she must have taken up the second sport when she’d given up being a Ranger. ‘A link to her past’ Rocky thought somberly, knowing that with what Kimberly had gone through, his ever perky friend had probably sought comfort in the familiar routine of toning her mind and body the way they’d tried to teach her. ‘I remember I started volunteering a lot, for different things, after I gave up my powers. I’ll bet that’s the reason Kim started with the arts’ he thought to himself as he watched her complete the kata. Leaving the team had been a hard transition, and the others who had left had expressed similar feelings of trying to recapture the feel of being a Ranger, even if it was only volunteering for things.

“I didn’t know I was that interesting to watch?” Kimberly’s voice startled the Red Ranger right into a blush that could have matched his suit, and one that did match the pants of his gi.

“Sorry. You studied with someone, didn’t you?” he asked point blank. Kimberly had only said before that a friend had shown her a few moves, but Rocky was truly interested in knowing if she had studied or not.

Kimberly’s dark brown eyes took in Rocky’s form. He stared at her so seriously, that she suddenly had a hard time picturing him as the jokester he’d always been. “After I got out of the hospital, Trini and Aisha suggested me taking some self defense classes to ease my mind and sharpen my skills, just in case,” she started, moving to shut off the c.d. player before turning to stare at Rocky. “I’d been studying with a couple of the Pan Global Martial Arts team members occasionally up to that point. Chris Robinson, the team captain at the time, took me under his wing. When he finally found out that I knew more martial arts then I’d let on, he started intensifying my training. During the day, I did gymnastics, and at night, instead of my mind dropping into nightmares of my ordeal, I studied with Chris and a couple of the others. It’s one of the reasons I recovered so quickly. After Trini and Aisha left, all I wanted to do was give up and die, but Chris and the team wouldn’t let me. At the last Pan Globals I competed in, I actually placed as an alternate for their team, as well as competed in gymnastics.”

Rocky nodded. “I’ll train you some more, if you want me to. I know the others wouldn’t mind helping either.”

Kimberly shook her head. “Rocky, thank you for the offer, but I’m ok where I’m at. I don’t want to be a master at this, not like you and the others. It’s nice to have something to challenge myself with. Gymnastics has gotten kinda boring.” Rocky could only nod his agreement and understanding. He’d gotten pretty sick of martial arts until he’d opened his own dojo; teaching had become a challenge, and surprisingly, a passion, for him.

“Feel free to use the gym whenever you need to,” Rocky told her, watching her smile.

“Love ya, Rocko. Now, how about a lift home? Billy dropped me off on his way to pick Trini up for their date and I think if I don’t get home soon, Tommy’s gonna send a search party out for me.”

Rocky couldn’t help but laugh. “Let me run up and change real quick, and let Sha know I’m running you home, then we can go.”

~*~

10:15 P.M.  
Cranston-Scott-Oliver Residence

He promised himself he wouldn’t jump to conclusions or that he wouldn’t interrogate her the moment she walked in the door, but if Rocky didn’t get her home in the next ten minutes so that he could personally make sure she was all right, he was going to hunt them down. When he heard her voice calling out a farewell to their friend, he jumped up from the couch and bounded to the door. Just as he reached for the handle, she pushed the door open, looking up at him in surprise. “Um, hi.”

“Where have you been? I’ve called everyone, and until I talked to Billy twenty minutes ago, no one had a clue where you were!” Tommy accused softly, watching her face drop. “Are you ok?”

A soft smile played across her lips. “I’m fine. I went to Rocko’s to work out. I should have left you a note, but I wasn’t expecting to be gone as long as I was. Sorry if I worried you.”

Tommy blew out a breath, feeling the tension in his body release. Careful, so as not to scare her, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. “Just let me know where you are next time.”

“Why didn’t you try my communicator? Or our link?” Kimberly asked, pulling back enough so that she could look up at him. Her arms were wrapped around his waist, holding him to her. She watched the sheepish grin spread across his face. “You forgot about it, didn’t you?” She didn’t need their mental link to read the expression on his face or the thoughts in his head. “What’s your excuse for not using the communicators?”

“No using the equipment or your powers for personal gain.”

Kimberly chuckled. “Baby, trying to find out where your team is doesn’t exactly qualify as using your powers for personal gain. Besides, you could have contacted Alpha 5 or Alpha 6 and just asked if they could scan the area for me and tell you where I was.”

“Oops.” Kimberly couldn’t help but to laugh.

~*~

7:00 P.M.  
Saturday  
August 3, 2002  
Cranston-Scott-Oliver Residence

“What’s going on?” Justin asked when Tommy popped into the living room, decked out in a pair of black slacks, a white dress shirt, black tie, and a black leather jacket.

“Tommy and Kim are going out to dinner with Tommy’s parents.”

“Wow. Must be someplace fancy,” Justin commented.

Tommy grinned. “Kinda. It’s Kim’s favorite French Restaurant.”

“Ready!” Kim called out as she descended the stairs and entered the television room. Jason, Justin and Tommy gasped when they looked at her. Kim was wearing a floor-length, pink satin dress with a light pink almost white shawl and pink, open-toed high heeled sandals. “What do you think?”

“Wow!” Justin cracked, which caused Jason to nod.

“Why didn’t you leave your hair down?” Tommy softly asked, smiling at his girlfriend.

“Because you said you liked my hair up more with this dress,” Kim shot back in exasperation.

Jason snickered, “That’s cause it’s easy access to your neck.”

Tommy simply grinned and Kim rolled her eyes. “Ready?” Tommy asked. Kim nodded and then the pair made their way to Tommy’s truck.

~*~

7:30 P.M.  
The French Connection  
Downtown Angel Grove

“Tommy?” Elizabeth Oliver asked as he and his date came into view in the restaurant. She and Tommy’s father looked on in shock when the identity of Tommy’s date dawned on them.

“Kimberly?”

“Mr. and Mrs. Oliver,” Kimberly greeted shyly. Elizabeth and Thomas smiled then stood to greet her.

“Sweetie, when’d you get back into town?” Thomas asked as he and Tommy helped Liz and Kim into their seats.

Kim smiled. “I’ve been back on and off for a few weeks,” she told them. Kimberly suddenly found herself very nervous about being in the presence of Tommy’s parents after what had happened.

“Tommy, what’s going on?” Liz asked, getting directly to the point.

“Well,” Tommy started, eyes darting to Kim’s quickly. “First off, Kim and I are back together.”

“Obviously,” Thomas sarcastically replied, winking at Kim, who couldn’t help but laugh at him. Tommy’s dad had always made her feel comfortable.

“Second,” Tommy ignored his father. “Kim and I wanted to let you know we’re back on active duty.” Both Thomas and Elizabeth blinked rapidly once the words left their son’s mouth.

“What exactly do you mean, back on active duty?” Elizabeth demanded.

“Mom, you know very well what I mean,” Tommy started. “The team has decided that we weren’t going to keep this from you. The only parents that aren’t going to find out are Kim’s, but that was her decision.”

“Oh my God,” Elizabeth muttered. “Who else is involved?”

Tommy looked to Kim, who nodded. “Jason, Zack, Trini, Billy, Rocky, Adam, Aisha, Kat, Tanya and Justin.”

“Good Lord, Justin too?”

“Justin was eleven the first time around,” Kim murmured softly, watching the fire burn brighter in Elizabeth’s eyes.

For a few minutes, Tommy’s parents sat there silently, unbelieving. “Good Lord you two!”

Thomas shook his head at his wife then turned his attention to Tommy. His curiosity got the better of him. “What colors?”

Tommy couldn’t help but grin. “Green, White, Red, Red, and White again.”

Thomas nodded, then turned to look at Kim. “Let me guess, Pink?”

Kim grinned at Thomas as he wiggled his eyebrows at her. “Three years, then I gave my place to Kat.”

“What is it with you dating Pink Rangers?” Liz quipped suddenly.

Kim gasped and Tommy glared at his mother. “Not funny, Mom!”

“I wasn’t trying to be,” Liz quieted when the waiter came over to get their drink orders.

“Kim, where are you staying and what are your plans for the immediate future?” Thomas suddenly asked, hoping to ward off the argument brewing between mother and son.

“Until I find an apartment, I’m bunking with the boys at Billy’s. Aisha and I are looking into getting an apartment together and starting our own business.”

“That’s good. At least you’ve got some long-term plans.”

Kim sighed as Tommy continued to glare at his mother. Carefully, Kim tried to touch his mind. [Tommy?]

No answer from him.

Taking another approach, Kimberly leaned over and touched Tommy’s arm. “Baby, stop glaring at your mother. She didn’t mean any harm by her comments.”

Elizabeth’s mouth dropped open when Tommy visibly relaxed at Kim’s soft command. Elizabeth glared at her husband when he started snickering.

“Sorry Mom,” Tommy muttered then yelped when Kim kicked him in the shin under the table.

“Apologize right,” Kim commanded in a strident tone. Tommy gulped then looked to his mother.

“I’m sorry.”

“Kimberly, welcome home,” Elizabeth, laughed.

~*~

9:30 P.M.  
Cranston-Scott-Oliver Residence

“How’d it go?” Jason called out when Tommy and Kim entered the television room. Billy and Trini were curled together on the loveseat, Justin was laying on the floor, video game controller in hand as he took his turn playing Mario Kart and Kat was curled into Jason’s side, reading a Nora Roberts Novel.

“Let’s not talk about it,” Tommy grunted as he stripped his shoes and coat off then tugged at his tie.

“That good, eh?” Jason grinned then frowned when Tommy left the room. “Kim?”

“Elizabeth and he went a few rounds during dinner. Thomas seems cool with it, but I think Elizabeth making a comment about him dating Pink Rangers got to him.”

Kat looked up and winced. “I take it he didn’t take that well?”

Kim nodded. “You got it. They were also upset about learning about Justin being on the team.”

“Why?” Justin interrupted.

Kim gave him a withering look. “Probably cause they found out you were like eleven when you became a Ranger?”

Justin sighed. “Good point.”

Kim blew out breath. “I’m heading to bed. See ya in the morning.”

“Night!”

~*~

When Kim walked into the bedroom, it was empty. Letting her mind calm, she reached out to Tommy. He was in the bathroom in the shower. Shaking her head, Kim slipped out of her dress, hanging it over Tommy’s desk chair, and grabbed one of Tommy’s old t-shirts out of the dresser, slipping it over her head, before she climbed into bed.

Kim was nearly asleep when Tommy emerged from the bathroom. “Hey grumpy,” Kim giggled as he crawled into bed with her.

Tommy smiled and wrapped his arms around her, snuggling her close to him. “I’m not grumpy.”

“Yes, you are,” Kim argued. “You forget, I can read your mind.” Rolling his eyes, Tommy snuggled her close to his chest. “She hurt your feelings.”

Tommy sighed. “Yeah.”

“Don’t take it as an insult, take it as a compliment,” Kim murmured, sleep starting to overtake her.

“It just annoys me that she’d be so callous about it.” Tommy realized the woman in his arms was sound asleep. “Sleep tight, Beautiful.”

~*~

Time Unknown  
Monday  
August 5, 2002  
Oribiting Earth

"You summoned me, my Lord?" Scorpina asked as she entered the bridge.

"Yes, Scorpina," Ivan spoke. "I want you to help me with the next phase of my plan. Bring me the father of the pathetic Pink Ranger."

Scorpina nodded then disappeared from the bridge in a flash of light.

~*~

4:15 P.M.  
Wednesday  
August 7, 2002  
1919 Star St  
Apt 2A  
Angel Grove, CA

“I think this is the last of the boxes from Adam’s truck,” Rocky told Kim as he, Adam, and Justin finished carrying the boxes into the apartment. Aisha’s parents and Kimberly’s mother had chipped in some money two days before to help the girls get an apartment together not far from Rocky’s dojo. Aisha had found it while job hunting and had fallen in love with the spacious three-bedroom, two-bath apartment. Monday she’d dragged Kimberly down, and the Pink Ranger had fallen for it as well. With much begging and pleading, their parents had given them some money for a few months of rent, a security deposit and some furniture.

“Cool. Then all we have to wait for is Aisha, Tommy and Jason to finish bringing Aisha’s bedroom furniture from storage, and for mine to show up and we’re set,” Kim smiled as she followed Rocky to the couch. Adam, Justin, Zack, Tanya and Kat were sprawled in the living room, each sipping some lemonade that Aisha had made before leaving.

“I still can’t believe you two are in an apartment,” Justin muttered as Kim graced him with an affectionate smile. “It’s gonna be weird not having you around Billy’s now.”

“Just think, Justin, you four can walk around in your underwear and not have to worry about me seeing you,” Kim laughed. Justin merely glared at her good-naturedly.

“You’ve already seen Tommy, Jason and Billy in their underwear, what’s one more?” Zack asked before Kim jumped on him, her fingers seeking his ticklish sides.

“ZACK!” Kim screeched. “Billy and Jason were an accident! Besides, I was only nine at the time!”

The others laughed. “What about when you and Billy switched bodies, didn’t you take a look then?” Five sets of eyes look intrigued as they took in Kim’s scarlet colored face.

“When did that happen?” Tanya asked.

Kim rolled her eyes. “Come on, Kim, I gotta hear this!” Rocky grinned, leaning closer as Kimberly reluctantly began the tale.

~*~

7:00 P.M.

Tommy sat cross-legged on Kimberly’s bed, watching as she hung her clothes up in the closet. It hurt, deep down in his heart, to know that tonight he’d be sleeping without her for the first time since she’d come back from Florida in July. “You’re starring.”

Tommy just continued to look at her. “I can’t help it. It’s gonna be so lonely tonight at the house without you in our room.”

Kimberly’s face was soft when she turned to him. Slowly, she crept over so that she was standing in front of him. Calmly, she crawled into his lap, sighing happily when he wrapped his arms around her. “We need this, and you know it. Things have been going way too fast lately. Besides, you guys need your house back.”

“Fuck the house,” Tommy growled, causing Kim to glare at him. “I want you, tucked in at night, right next to me. Now you’re nearly all the way across town.”

Silently, Kimberly nuzzled his neck, hoping to calm him down. “It’s a ten minute drive by freeway from Billy’s to here, you’ll be fine.”

“Let me stay tonight, please?”

Kim shook her head. “You have class in the morning, and I have to go with Aisha to talk to the real estate agent about that building down on Fort St. for our business.”

Tommy remained silent, continuing to hold her tightly to him.

~*~

5:30 P.M.  
Friday  
August 9, 2002

“Wow Billy!” Rocky laughed. “It didn’t take you long to throw this shin-dig together.”

Billy just smirked at the Red Ranger. “Thank the girls. I just paid for the supplies.”

Billy looked around to see who had gathered. Rocky’s mother Theresa was talking with Aisha’s parents, Mary Ann and Drake, and her grandmother, Katrina, as well as Adam’s parents Maylyn and Li, and Justin’s adopted parents, Christine and David Krammer. Kat’s parents, John and Nadine, were speaking with Tanya’s mother and father, Patrick and Lena, and Jason’s parents, Annie and Jacob. The six were laughing about a joke Jacob was telling. Trini’s mother and father, Margaret and Loa were with Zack’s parents Craig and Diane, and talking with Tommy’s parents and his own father. The only parents not present were Kimberly’s.

“Relax,” Kim whispered as she neared Billy. When she was close enough, she slipped her arm around his waist and nestled into his side. “It’s going to be alright. I’m going to do the hardest part, the rest of you just need to jump in at the appointed time.”

“I can’t help but think they’re going to be disappointed in us for keeping this from them for so long, especially Jason, Zack, and Trini’s parents and my father.”

Kimberly nodded in understanding. She could only imagine how the others were feeling, knowing that they were about to a – break Zordon’s cardinal rule about keeping their identities a secret and b – tell their parents that they’ve been risking their lives since high school to save the world from total annihilation. “Now that everyone’s settled and familiar with each other, how about I get to the point of this party?” Billy nodded and followed Kimberly when she moved to stand in front of the gathered family. “Can I have everyone’s attention?”

Side conversations died down as Kim started. The other Rangers moved away from their parents to stand with Billy and Kim; the majority of them wished to be anywhere but present for this.

“Kimberly, honey, is something wrong?” Annie Scott asked, her eyes wide.

Kim merely smiled. “Mama Scott, nothing is wrong, per say.”

Ever since they’d been little, Jason, Zack, Trini, Kim and Billy had pretty much called each other’s parents Mom or Dad with their last name tacked on. The only exception had been Kim’s parents, who the others had called by first name, in Caroline Hart’s case, or by last name in Kenneth Hart’s case.

“Kim?” Diane Taylor prompted, looking to one of her son’s two best female friends.

“All of us, particularly me, Zack, Billy, Trini and Jason, have been keeping a secret from you.”

“Good Lord, Kimberly Ann, you’re scaring us,” Margaret Kwan told her, eyes widening at the sound of Kim’s voice.

Taking a deep breath, Kimberly started their story. “When we were fifteen, Jason, Zack, Trini, Billy and I were chosen by an interdimensional, intergalactic being known as Zordon to defend Earth from Rita Repulsa and her minions as the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers.”

Silence ruled the group of parents. The only thee who were remotely prepared for this had been Tommy’s parents and Billy’s father, who had learned long-ago when his son had left for Aquitar that Billy had been a Ranger. However, the Blue Ranger had no clue that his father knew.

“Excuse me, but how does Justin figure into this?” David Krammer, Justin’s adopted father asked.

Kim smiled, hoping to calm David’s fears. “Mr. Krammer, I’m getting to that.” Turning, Kim sought Tommy’s hand for comfort. “Shortly after we became Rangers, Rita kidnapped and transformed Tommy into the evil Green Ranger.”

Jason stepped forward to help Kim shoulder the burden of telling their story, his hand seeking Kim’s free one to not only comfort himself but to steady Kimberly. “For nearly a week, the five of us,” Jason spoke, gesturing to the original five. “Struggled to defeat the Green Ranger. Eventually, we freed Tommy, who in turn joined our team, making us six strong in the fight against evil.”

The parents sat there wondering why their children were telling them such an outrageous story. Trini, sensing their disbelief, took the point next. “Over the course of our freshman year, Tommy lost, regained and permanently lost the Green Ranger powers. It was during this time, that Lord Zedd appeared. He chased away Rita, and then began his assault on Earth.”

Swallowing, Zack took over for his friend. “For a few months, during that summer especially, we got our butts handed to us time and time again. Even though we won every time, we were still in desperate need of a sixth Ranger. Zordon, in his infinite wisdom, created the White Ranger from the Light of Goodness, and gave the powers to Tommy, who took over leadership of the team from Jason and led us into a new era in Ranger history.”

Smiling, Billy took his turn next. “For a while, things were good, and as normal as they can be for us.” The Rangers all chuckled at that comment until the glares from their parents quieted them. “Then, as luck would have it, the first non-Rangers to learn our secret were a trio of Ninjas from Stone Canyon High.”

Tommy nodded to the three Ninjas in question, who stepped forward. “Rocky, Adam and I were taken captive by Lord Zedd and nearly turned into his evil Rangers,” Aisha told the gathered group.

“Lucky for us, Billy, Kim and Tommy saved us,” Rocky joked, though the six in question shuddered slightly with the memories of that fateful day. The three veteran Rangers had almost been too late to save their friends.

“Basically, they saved us, we learned their identities, and a few weeks later, we saved them,” Adam summarized.

Again, a Ranger stepped forward, this time Tommy. “When Jason, Zack and Trini were chosen to go to Switzerland, Rocky, Adam and Aisha were chosen to take their places on the team.” At this, the parents whose children had just been mentioned started piecing the puzzle together. Some of them began wondering if the kids were actually telling the truth.

“After the trio joined us, we were forced to go on two quests – one to a distant planet to retrieve the Great Power in order to save Zordon and defeat Ivan Ooze and the other was to the Temple Of Power in the Desert of Despair to retrieve new power coins. Between these two quests, we received the Ninjetti Ninja Powers.”

When Tommy stopped, Kat took her turn. She knew how hard the next part was for the original six ninjas. “After all of this, the unthinkable happened,” the soft-spoken Australian started. “In yet another attempt to destroy the Rangers, the newly married Rita and Zedd kidnapped me, turned me evil, made me steal Kimberly’s powers, which nearly killed Kim. On top of that, I also kidnapped Tommy, the Rangers’ ally Ninjor, and the White Falcon Ninja Zord, which disabled the other Zords.” Kim and Tommy each took a few steps forward, each reaching out to grasp one of Kat’s hands. “Eventually, I broke the spell, and when Kim left for Pan Globals, she gave me the Pink Ranger powers and her place on the team.”

As Kat finished, Tanya stepped up. “Not long after Kat’s arrival on the team, Master Vile, Rita’s father, arrived and turned back time, disabling the team. During this time, Kat, Aisha, Rocky, Adam and Tommy went in search of the famed Zeo Crystal. In the process, Aisha and I traded places. When time was restored to normal, we became the Zeo Rangers, with Billy giving up active duty to become our technical advisor. Eventually, our ally the Gold Ranger of Triforia, needed to pass on his powers. He ended up giving them to Jason.”

“Oh my God!” Annie murmured.

“I had to relinquish the Gold Ranger powers after a while because they started killing me.”

The twelve Rangers winced when Annie started to sob at Jason’s words. Next, Justin came forward, prepared to finish the history lesson. “About a week before Tommy, Rocky, Adam, Kat, and Tanya were set to graduate High School, a new menace appeared. Her name was Divatox. She kidnapped Jason and Kimberly and wanted to turn them against the team. When Rocky injured his back, when the team went Turbo, I joined them in his stead, as the Blue Ranger.” Justin’s parents went wide-eyed at that. “We saved Kim and Jason, and defeated Divatox, but she then came to Earth.”

Tommy came forward, placing a hand on Justin’s shoulder. “Justin stayed on the team when we retired, but when Turbo went Space, he lost his powers.”

“Why are you telling us this?” Theresa DeSantos demanded. She had a pretty good idea, having put two and two together.

“Because, we’ve become Rangers again,” Kim told her. “All our old enemies, who we thought were destroyed, have been brought back. We’ve been called to duty once more.”

Lena Sloan shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I just don’t believe it.” Though she’d met the Power Rangers when they’d helped Tanya rescue her and her husband, Lena refused to believe that her daughter had in fact been a Ranger and was again a Ranger.

Tanya shook her head at her mother while Kim looked up at Tommy, who nodded. “Let’s do it.” Carefully, the Rangers moved into position, forming a pyramid. Tommy and Tanya were in the middle, with Rocky, Aisha, Billy, Kim and Adam on Tommy’s side and Jason, Kat, Zack, Trini and Justin on Tanya’s side. “It’s Morphin’ Time!”

“BLACK RANGER POWER!”

“PINK RANGER POWER!”

“BLUE RANGER POWER!”

“YELLOW RANGER POWER!”

“RED RANGER POWER!”

“WHITE RANGER POWER!”

“BEIGE RANGER POWER!”

“TURQUOISE RANGER POWER!”

“GOLD RANGER POWER!”

“ORANGE RANGER POWER!”

“GREEN RANGER POWER!”

“PURPLE RANGER POWER!”

The parents who disbelieved were shocked when the twelve multi-colored suited figures were standing where their children had once been. “OH MY!” Mary Ann Campbell gasped when the team unsnapped their helmets and stood before their parents, revealing their identities.

“Katherine how could you keep this from us?” John and Nadine Hillard nearly yelled at their daughter.

Jason squeezed her hand in comfort. “Because I had to. For your safety and mine, you couldn’t know my secret. Zordon forbid it.”

“Why now?” Elizabeth Oliver asked at last, knowing she needed to stay rational for the other parents’ sakes.

“Because Zordon’s gone and we’re using our best judgment,” Adam told her, smiling. He knew Tommy and Kimberly had already spoken with the Oliver’s before.

The twelve Rangers watched Billy’s father step toward them. “I’m proud of you, each and every one of you, for the sacrifices you’ve made, the responsibilities you’ve taken on above and beyond the call of normal life. I don’t think anyone here can say they aren’t proud of you.”

Billy moved toward his father, eyes bright and smile wide. “William, your mother would have been proud of you as well.” At his dad’s words, Billy’s eyes filled with tears.

“Thanks Dad.”

“I have one question,” Li Park asked, approaching the group.

“What’s that, Dad?” Adam responded.

“Kimberly, where are your parents?”

Kim smiled a sad smile at Adam’s dad. “My parents aren’t here because I chose not to tell them. It’s a long story, needless to say I don’t think it would be wise to let them in on this little secret.”

“Now that this is over with, how about we eat?” Rocky suggested. The parents laughed and his teammates rolled their eyes.

“Rangers, power down!” Tommy commanded.

“Ninjas huh?” Loa Kwan asked as Trini approached her parents, Billy and his father in tow.

“Yep,” the raven-haired beauty laughed.

“What was your original color, Trini?” Margaret asked.

“Yellow,” Trini smiled at her mom. “I passed it onto Aisha, who passed it on to Tanya, who has now passed it back to Sha.”

~*~

“Are you mad?” Justin asked as he and Kimberly sat with his parents.

“No, honey, we’re not mad,” Christine, murmured softly, pecking a kiss to Justin’s temple as she hugged him to her side.

“We understand why you kept this from us,” David told his son, then turned to Kim. “Thank you for taking care of him.”

“I haven’t had much to do with that,” Kim smiled. “Tommy, Adam, Kat, Tanya, Rocky and the second set of Turbo Rangers have had more to do with it.”

As Christine was about to comment, the familiar six-tone signal brought reality crashing down on the Rangers. Quickly, they assembled together around Tommy.

“Go ahead Alpha,” Tommy spoke into his communicator.

“Trouble in the park and at the water treatment plant downtown,” Alpha 5 told them.

“We’re going to split up then,” Tommy turned to Tanya. “Take Team Two to the park, I’ll take Team One to the plant.”

“You got it.”

In the blink of an eye, Team Two teleported out, leaving Team One to explain the sudden departure. “We’ll be back soon, Dad,” Billy told his father before Team One left in a blaze of colors.

“Good luck.”

~*~

5:55 P.M.  
Water Treatment Plant  
Downtown Angel Grove

"It’s quiet," Aisha whispered.

"Too quiet," Rocky replied, shivering.

Tommy's hand came up and silenced them. "Split up," Tommy ordered. "Adam, Billy, head toward the front gates. Sha, you're with me. Rocky, Kim, look around here, see what you can find." The three groups went their separate ways, praying that they'd get this over with soon enough.

Kimberly and Rocky quietly and cautiously prowled the area where the team had landed. Rocky and Aisha had been right, it was way too quiet. "Rocky, watch it!" Kim called out, pushing the Red Ranger out of the way, as a cog came crashing down near them.

"Whoa!" Rocky gasped, rolling to his back so he could look up.

"We're surrounded!" Kim cried, ducking a fist then elbowing the owner of the fist as more and more cogs bounded onto the scene.

"Kim!" Rocky called, jumping to his feet. Quickly, the two found themselves back to back. "Ok, what now?"

Kim panted. "Morph?"

"Ninja. Tommy said be careful."

Kim nodded. "Ready when you are."

"NINJA RANGER POWER!"

"The Crane!"

"The Ape!"

The cogs jumped back then surged forward once the pair were in their ninja uniforms.

~*~

5:55 P.M.  
Angel Grove Park

"WHOA!" Justin squeaked when Team Two landed in the park before a tall, purple figure.

"Ah, Zordon's brats."

The Rangers rolled their eyes. "Let me guess," Jason started. "Ivan Ooze, right?"

"How perceptive of you, Jason," Ivan hissed.

"Look, why don't you just pack your bags and go back to wherever it was you came from?" Trini hissed back.

"Gee, a teenager with a big mouth."

"Only one of us is a teenager around here, Bub!" Zack shot back.

"I think I can change your tune," Ivan laughed, raising his arms as bolts of purple lightning shot up. When the light show cleared, a lone figure was kneeling between Ivan and the Rangers.

"Who's that?" Kat asked.

"Kimberly's father," Jason muttered darkly, eyes narrowing.

~*~

"What is it Alpha?" Tommy asked when his communicator chimed.

"Rocky and Kimberly are being attacked and Jason has requested Team One to the park immediately."

"Teleport us out!" Tommy ordered. Seconds later he and Aisha disappeared in streaks of light.

~*~

"What the...?" Rocky hollered as the six landed.

"Guys!" Justin called out, gaining their attention.

Jason, Zack, and Trini winced when Kimberly whirled around and cried out, "DAD!" Ivan had Mr. Hart by the shirt collar, using him as a human shield against the Rangers.

"Kimmie?" Ken Hart asked. Kim let her ninja suit disappear, revealing her identity to her father.

"Ivan, let him go! He's an innocent bystander, we're not!" Tommy growled when he noticed Kimberly trembling.

Ivan smiled wickedly. "Actually, I'd rather teach you a lesson, Rangers." That said, a sword materialized in Ivan's hand, which the morphological being thrust through Kenneth Hart's chest, directly through his heart.

"NO!" Kim screamed, lunging forward.

"Your loved ones will die, one by one, if you continue to oppose me. He is but the first! The choice is yours!" With that, Ivan disappeared in a bolt of purple light.

Kimberly hit her knees, catching her father's body in her arms. "Daddy! NO!" she sobbed, turning him over. The others rushed forward to help.

"Kimmie."

"Come on, Mr. Hart, stay with us!" Aisha told him as she, Rocky, Trini and Billy set out trying to stop the bleeding, the four using all the first aid skills they had been taught over the years.

Kenneth looked up at Tommy, who was standing behind Kimberly. "Take care of her." The white dressed man nodded. "I love you, Kimberly."

"DADDY!"


	5. Chapter 4: Bonding Together - Kimberly's Shared Pain

Return Of The Great Power  
Book 2 – Revelations  
Chapter 4 – Bonding Together: Kimberly's Shared Pain  
By Pink-Green-White-4ever  
Last Revised: March 7, 2005

"As I look back on my past, I remember the jokes I laughed at, the things I missed and lost, but there's one thing I'll never regret, it's the day you became my friend." ~~ Unknown

"Smiles and tears, giggles and laughs, late night calls and cute photographs. I'll be there for you until the day of my death, best friends forever until my very last breath." ~~ Unknown

~*~

Angel Grove Memorial Hospital  
7:30 P.M.  
Friday  
August 9, 2002

"I'm sorry Ms. Hart, but there's nothing we could do. He was gone when the Rangers brought him in," the emergency room doctor told the assembled group, his words directed at Kimberly, who collapsed in Tommy's arms, sobbing harshly.

"NO! NO! NO!" she cried, burying her face in Tommy's chest, her whole body shuddering.

"We've contacted your father's wife," the doctor told her, knowing that she probably wasn't listening to him any longer.

"Oh God!" Kim muttered. She and her stepmother weren't particularly close, but she knew how much Carla loved her father. "Carla's gonna freak."

~*~

8:00 P.M.

Kenneth Hart Jr. raced into Angel Grove Memorial Hospital, his mother at his side. "KIM!" he called to his baby sister, who was holding onto their stepmother as if she were afraid to let go.

"Kenny!" Kim cried, rushing to him. "Daddy's dead!" The young man all but collapsed at his sister's words. He watched their mother move to embrace their stepmother.

"Carla?" Caroline asked.

"Kim was with him. They got caught in a fight between the Power Rangers and the aliens," Carla sobbed. She and Caroline had long since let go of their animosity toward one another - for the kids' sakes. They didn't want Kenny or Kimberly to feel out of place in either household.

"Oh God!" Caroline gasped, hugging the other woman.

~*~

Hart-Campbell Residence  
2:30 A.M.  
Saturday  
August 10, 2002

Tommy carefully laid Kimberly on her bed. She'd fallen asleep in his truck on the way home from the hospital. The Rangers and their families had gathered together to lend support to the Harts in their time of need before the Rangers had retreated to their Pink and Yellow Rangers' apartment. "Tommy?"

"I'm here Beautiful," he murmured in her ear. "Go back to sleep."

"He's really gone, isn't he?"

Tommy felt his heart break; she sounded so destroyed. "I wish I could change it, Beautiful, but I can't." Tommy climbed onto her bed and pulled her into his arms. "We'll make sure Ivan doesn't hurt anyone else, I promise." Kimberly nodded and snuggled closer, trying to merge her body with his, praying Tommy could take away all the pains just like he had when they were in high school.

~*~

The rest of the team was gathered in Aisha and Kim's living room. "He just made this personal," Justin spoke, finally breaking the silence that had loomed over the seasoned warriors since leaving the hospital. He felt for Kimberly, more so then most of the Rangers; other himself, only Billy had lost a parent. The young Ranger knew what his pink friend would go through, and he vowed to himself to be there for her through every step of the recovery process.

"Yes, he did. Until now, they've never really involved our families, expect in the most general sense," Kat murmured, reminding the others what Jason had said about the Parents Day fiasco the original six had gone through.

"My question is, how is this going to affect Kimberly? As if she hasn't had enough to deal with, now she has to cope with the death of her father." No one knew how to answer Rocky's question.

~*~

Thompson Funeral Home  
9:30 A.M.  
Monday  
August 12, 2002

The morning of the funeral dawned rainy and miserable, despite the fact that it was summer in California. The team of superheroes noted how it seemed to fit their moods perfectly. "Did you talk to Alpha?" Jason asked Tanya and Tommy as he adjusted his tie and jacket.

"Yeah. The Falcon, Crane, Dragon and Eagle zords are gonna do a fly over during the graveside service. Alpha and Billy have been working on it for the last two days."

It had been Justin's idea to have the Zord fly-over, as most who knew about Mr. Hart's death, knew the Rangers had been unable to save him. Justin had told the others that this would assure the people of Angel Grove that even though they'd lost someone, that the Rangers were still there, and that to them, every person was important.

"I can't believe all our parents are here," Rocky pointed out, glancing around to see each set of Ranger parents, or in his and Billy's case, their sole parent.

"They're here for Kimberly," Trini added as she, Billy, Aisha and Adam approached. "And her family."

"Come on, they're getting ready to start," Kat motioned for them to move to their seats. The team was silent but they knew Tommy wished he could be sitting with Kim instead of six rows behind her.

Before the funeral began, Kenny stood and made his way to where the Rangers sat. "Tommy, I hate to bug you, but would you come up and sit with Kim?"

Silently Tommy stood and followed Kenny to the front pew. When Kim saw him, she stood up and threw her arms around him. "I'm here, Beautiful." Carefully, the White Ranger turned her and sat in the pew next to her, his arms never leaving her.

The pastor began a few minutes later, followed by Caroline and Carla and then Kenny and Kimberly.

~*~

Stone Angel Cemetery  
1:00 P.M.  
Monday  
August 12, 2002

Tommy stood silently with the team, minus Kimberly, watching the priest as he gave some final words before the open grave they were standing in front of. Tommy’s eyes were trained on the petite woman dressed in black across the casket from him, who held onto her brother like he was her lifeline. It hurt Tommy to know there was nothing he could do to ease the misery in her eyes, or the guilt he knew was in her heart. It had been less than a week since her world had come crashing down on her in a million pieces. The day Ivan had taken her father’s life, it seemed Kimberly had simply stopped living.

“Give her time,” Trini murmured, standing on Tommy’s right with Billy next to her holding her hand the same way she grasped Tommy’s. Jason and Kat stood on the other side of the White Ranger, holding each other’s hands. Jason and Tommy’s shoulders barely touched, the only physical indication that they were comforting each other. Normally, when things like this happened, Kimberly stood between them, uniting them as the Three Musketeers, but both of them were feeling the ache of watching her fall apart for what seemed like the millionth time in less than a week.

Aisha, Rocky, Adam, Tanya, Zack and Justin stood just behind the others, each of them dealing with their guilt over Kenneth Hart’s death in their own way, just as the group of five in front of them did. As Rangers, they knew, they were sworn to protect and serve all those who lived on Earth. As Rangers, but more importantly, as friends, they felt they had failed in their duty. There had been causalities during their first tenures as Rangers, Zordon had warned them of the perils of their enemies’ disregard for human life. Not once, in the years they’d been Rangers, had any of them lost family members while they had been in uniform. At the moment, none of them liked the feeling all that much.

“The Harts wish to thank you all for being here; there will be a small family gathering at the Angel Grove Country Club in one hour.” With that, the priest turned and made his way to speak with Kimberly, her brother, her stepmother and her mother.

“Let’s go wait by the limos for her,” Jason commanded of the group. Carefully stepping forward, they each dropped a flower of their color into the grave over the casket, each saying a silently apology for letting Mr. Hart down in whatever way they had. Quietly, the group of eleven moved toward the line of black limos about seventy feet away to wait for Kimberly and her family.

Just as the team reached the vehicles, the familiar roar of the engines of the four aerial zords announced the zords' arrival. In a stunt reminiscent of military maneuvers performed by pilots having lost one of their own, the Crane Zord flipped over on its top as the four zords continued to whiz by, before it suddenly went into a steep climb. The people gathered in the cemetery gasped, Kimberly included, when they caught sight of the zords. Kimberly's teammates smiled sadly, and then turned their gazes from the sky to where Kimberly was giving them a watery smile.

~*~

Cranston-Scott-Oliver Residence  
5:30 P.M.  
Monday  
August 12, 2002

His arms were folded across his bare chest. Short, spiked hair stuck up every which way. He was clad in only a pair of black sweats as he leaned against the wall that jutted out next to the window. His forehead was pressed against the glass. Chocolate brown eyes were trained on the drops of precipitation that splattered softly against the glass. His thoughts were on the woman who was lying, in a haphazard fashion, on the bed behind him.

After the funeral, she’d wanted to come back to the house with him instead of going to her and Aisha’s apartment. With her friends around her, she let loose the emotions she’d dared not show in front of her family. She had cried, screamed, raged – throwing pillows, magazines, even punches – as she let her heartbreak show. He could remember gathering her in his arms in the middle of Billy’s living room, holding her as tightly to him as he could, while their friends ringed around them, giving her their silent support and comfort. It had seemed like hours until she’d finally fallen asleep in his arms. Once she was asleep, he had carried her up and tucked her into what use to be their bed, before crawling in next to her, and letting her sleep off her exhaustion.

As was par for the course, she’d woken several times with nightmares. He’d been there to sooth and comfort, until she drifted back to sleep. Now he could no longer simply lie next to her, not when he could feel everything she felt more pronounced when he simply held her, skin to skin. She was lost, unsure, and guilt ridden. Turning, Tommy took in her tiny form, before he took a deep breath to calm himself. “You don’t know how important you are to all of us, do you Beautiful?” he quietly asked her sleeping form. “You’re the reason some of us get up and do what we have to, day after day. It’s hard to stay sane when your heart and soul is falling apart.”

The sudden knocking on the door brought him out of his stupor. Striding forward, one well-toned arm opened the door, and found the rest of the team standing in the hallway, each of them dressed for bed. Tommy rolled his eyes, but let them in. Silently, Trini, Aisha, Kat and Tanya crossed the room to the bed, the four of them climbing on and curling up with Kimberly, hoping their mere presences would give their Pink Ranger comfort while she slept. Rocky, Justin and Adam sat on the floor of one side of Tommy’s bed while Billy and Zack took seats on the oak chest at the foot of Tommy’s bed, leaving Jason and Tommy to sit on the floor on the opposite side of the bed. Each of the guys reached a hand out, touching one of the girls, linking them all. They had tried this only once, a few days before, right after Kim’s dad had died. It was still new to them, but it felt incredibly relieving to be able to feel each of the others inside of themselves in a different way.

~*~

Southside Mall  
Angel Grove  
12:30 P.M.  
Wednesday  
August 14, 2002

“Kim, you ok?” Tanya asked as the five girls finally plopped down into their chairs at The Bistro for lunch. They’d spent the better part of the morning shopping for necessities for their rooms at the base, and trying to get Kimberly's mind off of losing her father.

“I’m not sure,” Kim mumbled as she took a long sip of the water the waiter put in front of her. She hated being paranoid but there was nothing she could do to reassure herself.

Aisha’s gaze narrowed at the paleness of Kim’s face. “Girl, what’s wrong?

“I thought I saw someone who shouldn’t be here.”

“Who?” Kat asked, her skin prickling at the worried look on Kim’s face. Kimberly, she knew, wasn't one to panic so easily. Normally, the Pink Ranger was very level headed when it came to serious situations.

“I could have sworn I’d just seen Mike.” Kim’s words brought the four other female Rangers up short.

“As in, Mike your ex?”

“Yeah,” Kim sighed. “I’m just paranoid. Let’s eat,” Kim waved it off, though the feelings continued to nag at her mind.

After lunch the girls all decided they needed to indulge in some personal shopping. “Thank God for Billy and Rocky’s expense accounts. Otherwise, we’d all be paying out of our pockets to do up the base,” Tanya laughed.

“Kim, what’s wrong?” Kat softly questioned.

Kim looked pale and terrified again. ‘God, please, I don’t need to involve Tommy in this or any of the others for that matter’ Kim thought helplessly.

“Kimberly?” Tanya asked, hoping to bring Kim’s attention back to the present. Carefully, the Purple Ranger laid a hand on the Pink Ranger's arm.

“There’s a guy behind us. It’s the same man from earlier. I need to find a corner and call Jase,” Kim told them. Kat shot Kimberly a look but understood. Jason had contacts to police departments around the world thanks to his work at Interpol. The girls hurried to a secluded corner where Kim turned her back to them and made like she was looking for something in her purse while really using her communicator. “Jase, you read?”

A second later, the familiar and soothing voice of her big brother was heard. “Jase here. Kim, what’s wrong?”

Kimberly gulped. “I need a huge favor. Think you can use your contacts with the police department in Miami and find out where Mike Tromoni is for me?”

“Sis, what’s wrong?”

“There’s a guy that’s been following us around the mall all afternoon. I think he’s here. Jase, if it’s him, I’ve just put the other girls in a whole lot of danger.”

“Quit whatever you’re doing and send their asses back to Billy’s, do you here me? I’ll have Adam at the house and Rocky and Justin are already at the Youth Center, I want you to go there.”

“Ok. Kim out.” Pulling her set of Tommy’s keys from her purse, Kimberly turned around and nodded carefully to the others. “You four are to go to Billy’s. Adam is waiting for you. Rocky and Justin are going to be waiting for me at the Youth Center.”

“Kim, it’s not safe,” Trini argued.

“It's safe for you four. I’ve already put you at risk. Jason knows, but the rest of you have to promise not to tell Tommy or the others until I know for sure. Understood?” While the girls understood Kim’s motives, they still felt uncomfortable not telling Tommy straight away. All four girls knew how bad Tommy’s temper could get, especially if it was something threatening Kim.

Kimberly waited until her four friends were in their cars and headed out of the parking lot before she turned to scan the area for the man who’d been following her. She suddenly wished she had driven her own car instead of Tommy’s Navigator, just in case it was Mike. She really didn’t want him finding out Tommy’s license plate number. Kimberly’s eyes spotted the man coming down the lane where she was. As fast as was careful, Kim backed Tommy’s truck out of the spot and left the mall.

~*~

Angel Grove Youth Center  
2:30 P.M.

When she got to the Youth Center, Kim saw Rocky’s Red Durango, Jason’s Green Silverado, and her brand new Pink Convertible – a gift from her stepmother to welcome her home, which she’d let Tommy use in lieu of her borrowing his Navigator. “Damn it, Jason, I didn’t want him to know,” Kim muttered as she hurried into the building.

Inside she rushed through the hallway, into the main area, and stopped short. Out on the mats, Rocky, Jason and Tommy were attempting to teach Justin a few new moves. At the sight of them together, Kim felt her heart ache with longing for days gone by. It had been entirely too long since she’d last seen the guys teach. Kim smiled when Tommy looked up at her. Squashing the urge to run headlong into his arms, Kim slowly made her way over. “Going somewhere, Kimmie?”

At the sound of the dreaded familiar voice, Kim pushed down the urge to throw up. Turning, Kimberly came face to face with her ex-boyfriend. “Mike. So it was you following me around the mall.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Kimmie. How about we go for a walk and have a nice chat?” Mike suggested, daring Kimberly to make a scene in front of the crowd of kids and teens inside the Center.

“Hey Kim!” Rocky almost growled at the way the man in gray and blue was looking at his little sister. “Tommy and Jase want you to go show Justin how to do that walk-over, hand-stand trick you’ve been working on with Aisha and Trini.”

Mike glared at Rocky. “Excuse me, Slick, but Kimmie and I were talking.” Kim’s eyes widened in horror at how Mike’s words must have sounded to Rocky.

‘Here we go!’ Kim thought, as the shift in Rocky’s body language plus the tug Rocky gave on the group’s mutual link brought Jason, Tommy and Justin over.

“Hey Beautiful,” Tommy greeted, slipping past Rocky and wrapping his arms around her before pecking a butterfly kiss on her lips. When both she and Tommy looked up at Mike, they saw him glaring. Rocky, Jason and Justin were snickering in the background.

“Kimmie, who’s this?” Mike questioned. Kim’s eyes flew to Tommy’s, wondering how the hell she was supposed to explain the situation without causing a fight.

“I’m Tommy Oliver, her boyfriend.” Mike looked at Tommy in surprise.

“Is this the same Tommy from before you moved to Florida?” Mike asked Kim, who could only nod. Her vocal cords seemed paralyzed. “Kimmie, I’m surprised you’d give up such a nice looking guy. So, when’d you get back together?”

“That’s none of your concern,” Tommy growled.

“Ooh, grouchy,” Mike teased. “So, you two serious again?”

“Mike, stop it,” Kim finally managed to bark out.

“So, how’s it feel to have sloppy seconds?” Mike grinned, ignoring Kim’s comment and staring at Tommy until the White Ranger had him by the front of his shirt and nearly six inches off the ground.

“Shut your mouth.”

Mike quirked an eyebrow at Tommy’s command. “Touchy, aren’t we? You know, I’ll bet Kim’s given herself to you, just like she did me.”

“You raped me!” Kim all but screamed, until her words registered with her brain. It was the one thing she hadn’t told the rest of the team, with the exception of Trini and Aisha who already knew, when she’d told them about Florida. Kim winced when Tommy jerked Mike closer to him. “Tommy! Don’t!” Kim reached out, laying a hand on her boyfriends’ arm. She could feel his anger as though it was something solid and tangible, and it scared her immensely.

Tommy ignored her, his eyes flaming white. “Tommy, he’s not worth it,” Justin spoke for the first time. Still, the White Ranger ignored his friends, who could read the murderous thoughts going through his head.

Jason watched the resigned but terrified look seep into Kimberly’s eyes. “Tommy,” he started. The Green Ranger saw that his White friend was listening when Tommy’s head turned slightly toward him. “Tommy, you’re setting a bad example for the kids around here and you’re scaring Kimberly. Why don’t you let me take care of him and you go calm Kim down?”

Tommy turned his head in Kim’s direction and saw her panicked face. Jason watched as his best friend set Mike down none too gently and approached his girlfriend, who he took into his arms. As soon as Tommy had moved, Jason and Rocky stepped forward. “You do realize you just violated a restraining order that’s still in effect, don’t you?”

Mike gulped as the dark brown stare of the man before him deepened. “No? Really?”

Jason glared some more, this time Rocky and Justin joining him. “Listen, smart ass, I’m gonna let you go with a warning, as I’m sure Kim would like to avoid any trouble. The next time, I’ll haul your ass down to the police station myself. Understood?”

Mike gulped when the eyes of the men before him flared with the colors of their Ranger powers. Nodding, he turned and made a hasty exit. The trio of male Rangers turned their attention to Tommy and Kim once he was gone. The lovers were holding on for dear life to one another.

Jason walked over to his gym bag and pulled out his cell phone. He hit speed dial for Adam’s cell and waited for the Black Ranger to pick up. “Adam, it’s Jase. We’re clear.” Hanging up, Jason tossed the phone back into the bag before striding over to join his friends.

~*~

3:00 P.M.

Once Kim had calmed Tommy down, the five Rangers left the Youth Center and headed for Tommy’s parent’s house, which was the closest. Kimberly was extremely quiet on the drive over. “Are you alright?” Tommy questioned softly, his voice tight with pain, betrayal and worry. Kim gulped in breath after breath as if breathing was going out of style. “Kimberly?”

“I’m sorry,” Kim started as Tommy pulled into the driveway behind his mom’s Explorer.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Tommy asked hurt evident in his tone though his voice seemed steadier then before.

Kim gulped, trying to reign in her thoughts. It was time to suck up the fear and get this over with. “Because, I’m still trying to accept what happened.”

“What did happen?”

“He broke into my apartment, just like I told you. And he beat me up, but before that, he did more,” Kim started, her mind going back to the night she wished with her whole heart she could forget. “He tied me to the bed after the first initial beating. He had a knife and was threatening to slit my throat. He used it to cut off my pajamas and underwear. He said I was a tease, and that I didn’t give it up to him because I liked teasing him. Tommy, he was out of his fucking mind and not making any sense.”

Tommy’s eyes darkened as he reached out and grabbed Kim’s hand, offering her his silent support. “Keep going.”

“I tried talking him down, all it did was piss him off more. He hit me to shut me up. The next thing I know, he’s shoving himself inside of me. When he realized I wasn’t as innocent as he thought, it angered him more,” Kim continued, her head bowed. “He pulled out of me, pulled my hips up, and slammed himself into my backside. The pain was so intense, and I could feel the blood starting to flow. He finished getting off and then took the knife to me. When he was done slicing and dicing me, he beat me up again.”

Tommy’s jaw was clenched, but he carefully squeezed Kimberly’s hand to let her know that she was okay to continue. “The last thing I remember before blacking out is praying to God that you guys would come save me.”

Kimberly’s voice was barely a whisper when she finished. Tommy’s free hand gripped the steering wheel as his world tilted. She sounded so cold and hard when talking about it, but Tommy knew that if she let go of the reign on her emotions, she’d probably loose it. “Tommy, I ended up pregnant,” Kim started again, raising her head just in time to see Tommy’s eyes snap to her face. She wanted to throw up at the horrified look she saw in those beloved chocolate orbs.

“What happened?” Tommy felt his heart stop.

Kim swallowed. “I miscarried during the fourth month, after a fall during physical therapy. Everything’s scarred. The doctors don’t think I’ll be able to conceive ever again.” Kimberly’s control started to falter. The thought that she may never be able to have children, Tommy’s children, hurt her beyond comprehension.

“Kim,” Tommy murmured, taking her face in his hands. She’d kept this bottled up inside for so long, maybe, just maybe, he thought silently, it was time she let it go.

Kimberly looked deep into his eyes and finished. “I still have nightmares, though you’ve managed to chase most of those away, and I’m still skittish with people touching me, getting that close to me, but I’m working through it. Being with you, having the team to fall back on has done a great deal of good for me.”

“I love you,” Tommy told her, his voice serious. Kim smiled.

“I know. I’ve always known that. I’m so sorry for not sharing this with you sooner.”

Tommy attempted a smile. “We’ll get through this, just like we always do.” Kim nodded and leaned her head against his shoulder. Before Tommy knew it, Jason was knocking on the driver’s side door. “She’s asleep.” Jason nodded.

“Rocky and Justin are waiting.” Slowly, Tommy climbed out of the truck and went to Kim’s door. Careful not to wake her, Tommy unbuckled her and hoisted her into his arms. Jason shut the door and followed Tommy to the front door of his parents’ house, where Justin and Rocky were waiting for them.

~*~

Elizabeth Oliver watched with worried eyes as her son sat on the couch in her living room with his friends. She’d been surprised when he, Rocky, Jason and Justin had come in, Tommy cradling Kimberly in his arms. The poor girl had been sound asleep.

“Why didn’t she tell me, Jason?” Elizabeth heard Tommy ask, his voice filled with anguish.

“Tommy, I’ve worked with a lot of rape victims. The number one reason for most of them not telling anyone is guilt; they think they caused it to happen to themselves.” Elizabeth shuddered when she heard Jason’s words. If what he was saying was true, then it would explain a lot of why Kim had been acting the way she had lately. “You’ve also got to remember, she’s been trying to come to terms with what happened.”

“Mrs. Oliver?” Elizabeth spun around at the sound of her name.

Kimberly was standing halfway up the staircase, still half asleep. “Hi Kim. How are you feeling?”

“Tired. Where’s Tommy? The last thing I remember is sitting in his truck telling him about…oh…”

Elizabeth smiled. “He and the guys are in the living room. Are you thirsty?”

Kim nodded and followed Elizabeth through the back hallway into the kitchen.

Elizabeth watched Kimberly like a hawk as the pair sat at the island counter and sipped glasses of the lemonade that Elizabeth had made for the boys when they’d come in. After the initial awkwardness that had come when Kim and Tommy had first started dating all those years ago, Kim and Elizabeth had gotten along splendidly. It hurt Tommy’s mother tremendously to see the young woman before her in such an emotional state. Just a weeks ago, Elizabeth had seen Kim’s true self – feisty, spirited and laughing – when she’d invited her son and his friends over for dinner, but that was before Kim had lost her dad. The last few weeks, Elizabeth noted, had been taking their toll on Kimberly. ‘As if losing her father the way she did wasn’t enough, now she has to deal with this too. It’s past time she learned to lean on her friends again, especially Tommy’ Elizabeth thought as she gazed at Kim.

“Kim, is everything alright?”

Kimberly’s eyes rose from her glass. Elizabeth noticed the tearstains and redness of Kim’s beautiful brown eyes. “Did Tommy tell you?”

Liz nodded. “He told me some of it, the rest I overheard a few moments ago while he and the others were talking. Are you going to be alright?”

Kim’s head moved slightly in a nod. “I am now. I know the gang isn’t disappointed in me, and neither is Tommy.”

“You’ve overcome a lot. It takes a person with a strong will and determination to get through everything you’ve gone through. I’m proud of you, Kim, and so are your friends. Especially Tommy.”

Kim shyly smiled. “MOM!” Both Kim and Elizabeth laughed when they heard Tommy holler.

“I’ll bet he’s discovered you’re not in his room.” Liz laughed. “Tommy! Kitchen!”

Seconds later, Tommy, Rocky, Jason and Justin came thundering into the room. “Mom, Kim’s miss…”

“She’s right here,” Liz started, raising an eyebrow in mirth as Tommy flew to Kimberly’s side, his hands cupping Kim’s face.

“Tommy, I’m fine, really,” Kim murmured softly as Tommy’s thumbs caressed her cheeks.

“You should be lying down,” Tommy softly scolded. Kim smiled up at him. “Indulge me, and go back up and rest. At least until the others come over.”

The Pink Ranger started pouting until her boyfriend turned on his best puppy-dog expression. “Only if you come up with me for a few.”

Tommy smiled. “Not a problem. Allow me.”

Rocky and Jason rolled their eyes while Justin and Elizabeth laughed when Tommy bent down and scooped Kim right out of her chair then proceeded to carry her up to his room.

~*~

4:15 P.M.

“You sure you feel alright?” Tommy questioned as he laid her out on his old bed. Kim’s eyes silently asked what her voice suddenly couldn’t. Smiling, Tommy crawled up next to her, pulling her into his arms.

“Tommy, I promise, I’ll be okay. The fact that I have you and the gang back in my life speaks for that. I’ve stopped pushing everyone away.” Kim nestled her head against Tommy’s chest. “I know I’ve said this before, but I mean it; when I was in Florida, I really missed this.”

“I know; so did I,” Tommy whispered, his hand stroking up and down her back. Amazement still snuck up on him every now and then, more often then not when he was watching her sleep, that after all they’d been through together Kim was back in his arms, back in his life.

Tommy chuckled when Kim started purring under the soothing rubbing of his hand on her back. He could tell she was starting to fall asleep because she kept rubbing her face against her chest, just like his younger cousins or Rocky’s little sister were prone to do. “It’s alright, Beautiful, go to sleep. I’m right here.”

~*~

Kim sighed as the presence near her stroked her back softly. “Wakie, wakie, Kimmie-poo.”

Kim’s eyes snapped open, her gaze taking in Mike looming over her. Kimberly felt the bile and panic rise in her throat. “No…” she whimpered in disbelief when she realized that she and Mike were both naked and that he’d raped her, again. “NO!” Kim screamed as she struggled with him as he held her securely, smiling down at her evilly.

“KIM!”

Kimberly sat straight up, panting and crying all at once. “Kim?”

Turning, she noticed Tommy sitting next to her, worry and terror swirling across his facial features, let alone the punch of it across their telepathic link. “Tommy?” she whispered. Shakily, she moved back into the circle of his arms, letting the tears come when he had her pulled tight to his chest, his arms banded tightly around her body.

“Baby, it’s alright. I’m right here. I’ve got you.”

“I……” Kim started after she’d calmed down a bit. “He was here.”

Tommy rubbed his lips against her temple and allowed his hands to rub her back in a comforting circular motion. “It was just a dream, Kim, just a dream.”

Careful not to jolt or jar her, Tommy leaned back against the headboard. He shifted slightly so that Kim was plastered against his side with her head on his chest and one of her hands resting right above his heart. “I’m here, Baby, he can’t get to you, I promise.” Tommy closed his eyes, focused on the feeling of her from their link, and let his calmness and love sweep her into a contented sleep like a soft lullaby.

The pair lay there quietly until a light knocking was heard on the door. “Come in!” Tommy called softly, trying not to disturb Kimberly.

When the door was open enough, Trini, Aisha, Kat and Tanya stuck their heads in. “Can we come in?” Aisha pleaded. Tommy smiled at her and nodded.

“Is she okay?” Tanya questioned her worry evident by the hitch in her voice.

“Jason told us what happened,” Kat informed him as the four girls sat on the foot of the bed, or in Kat’s case, on the window seat kitty corner to Tommy’s position on the bed.

Trini climbed onto the bed on Kim’s side, wrapping her arm around her sleeping friend. “I told you, you should have told them sooner,” she murmured as Kim shifted between her and Tommy.

“You knew?” Tommy accused.

Trini could only look up at him and nod. “Both Sha and I were there when it happened, remember? Things were such a mess…there was something about evidence and all that…basically, she managed to get a restraining order against him then he just seemed to drop off the face of the Earth.” Tommy glared at the Turquoise and Yellow Rangers. “Tommy, she didn’t want anyone to know, least of all you. She was ashamed of what he’d done to her.”

“Yeah, well, I’d like to see him try it again. He’ll have one very pissed off White Ranger in his face.”

“Sounds like he already had one encounter with him, according to Justin and Rocky,” Kat scolded as she mentioned what Rocky and Justin had told them, Billy, Zack, and Adam about what had happened at the Youth Center. “Tommy, if you were gonna man-handle him, couldn’t you have done that outside with less of an audience?”

Tommy shot a look at Kat then smiled. She was teasing, he knew, in hopes of lightening his mood. “Next time I’ll just drop him from the Falcon Zord, at about thirty five thousand feet up.”

The girls all laughed at that. “Naw,” Kim yawned. “He’d stink up the cockpit.”

The girls were silent before Kim grinned at them, which caused all them to start laughing. A knock on the door momentarily silenced the girls. “Come in!” Tommy called out. When Rocky came in, the Red Ranger was smiling.

“Damn Oliver! How’d you manage to get an orgy going in here? Isn’t it enough you got one gorgeous woman! But no, you had to go and steal four more!” A barrage of pillows was Rocky’s answer. “Thanks guys. Jason says it’s time to go, if you get my drift.”

They did. Tommy, Adam, Jason and Tanya had decided that the team could use all the additional Zord practice they could get in. Slowly, Tommy and the girls got to their feet and followed Rocky downstairs.

~*~

7:30 P.M.

Kat, Rocky, Billy, Trini and Adam stood on the plateau their base of operations was built into and watched as Justin, Tanya, Zack, Aisha, Jason, Tommy and Kim finished playing a game of tag in their zords.

After twenty minutes, it had finally come down to just Tommy and Kimberly. “Boy, are they good with those,” Justin commented as he watched the Crane and Falcon zords whiz by.

“Well, think about it,” Kat told him as she slung her arm around his shoulders. “Kim had three aerial zords and Tommy’s had two. They should be use to flying by now.”

“I still think it was a stroke of luck that Ninjor took the plans for the original Ninja zords with him and hid them all those years ago,” Jason pointed out as the others nodded. “I’m amazed that he and the Alphas were able to rebuild them, as well as build the rest of ours, so quickly.”

“Yes and no. Zordon had Alpha 5 prepared for any situation,” Aisha countered. “My guess would be those Zords were ninety percent finished before we even went on our quest. I’ll agree that we got lucky though,” she finished as she watched Kim and Tommy finish their game before they began a complicated series of maneuvers, ones designed, Aisha knew, by Zordon during the initial Ninja phase of the Rangers.

“It’s beautiful,” Tanya gasped as the Falcon and Crane Zords performed what could only be described as a sensual dance. Meanwhile, in the cockpits of the two winged zords, Tommy and Kim remained silent, their moves saying all that was needed.

“Baby, you ok?” Tommy finally called over their communications system.

Kim smiled fondly, giggling at him. “Yes Tommy, I’m fine. How about you?” she inquired.

Tommy laughed. “Never better. It’s nice being back in one of the two Zords I was always comfortable in.”

“What was the other one?” Kimberly pondered out loud.

“The Tiger Zord.”

Now that surprised Kimberly. She had always thought he’d felt just as uncomfortable in the Tigerzord as he had been in the Dragon Zord. And knowing his Zeo and Turbo zords had been relatively built just for him, Kim would have thought he’d have felt more comfortable in one of them. “Why the Tiger Zord?”

Tommy sighed. “Because, next to the Falcon, there was just something about the Tiger Zord that made me feel complete.”

“I know that feeling,” Kim murmured back.

Tommy chuckled at her faraway sounding voice. “Beautiful, you ready for one final maneuver?”

The familiar words brought a gigantic smile to Kim’s face. “Warn the others first,” she demanded softly.

“Spoil sport,” Tommy pouted before patching through to Billy’s Wolf. “Billy, we’re getting ready to land.”

“Affirmative,” Billy replied, and then exited the cockpit of his zord and joined the others. “Heads up, they’re landing.”

Rocky, Adam, Aisha and Billy moved into the shelter of the Wolf Zord’s access ramp while the others watched the two aerial zords. In a death-defying stunt, Tommy inverted the Falcon Zord and Kimberly settled the Crane over it, so the two machines were belly to belly. Then, on blind faith and a lot of practice, the pair began to barrel roll and then turned into a dive, swooping down toward the others.

“Holy shit!” Jason cursed, flinching when, at the last moment, Kim shot the Crane forward and Tommy flipped the Falcon back over, both machines landing effortlessly in the space to the left of the other zords.

Seconds later, both the entrance ramps came down and Tommy and Kimberly emerged. “You are such showoffs!” Zack accused as the White and Pink Rangers pulled off their helmets and grinned at their friends.

“Are you kidding?” Kim laughed. “Zordon’s the one who encouraged us to learn that. You should see it when we actually use the lasers and missiles.”

Aisha laughed at that. “I remember Goldar and Rito freaking the first time they saw that.”

Rocky spoke up next, not bothering to keep the merriment out of his voice. “No, the best was when you two out flew and out classed the Blue Angels when they accidentally flew into our practice. I thought the captain was gonna crap his pants when Kim flew rings around him.”

The others chuckled at that. Jason remembered hearing all about how the Rangers and Angels had accidentally met. Tommy had been so proud of Kim’s flying – like Rocky had said, she’d flown rings around the Navy’s foremost pilots. The pilots had then gone on Channel 7 news in L.A. and talked about the encounter, remarking particularly how the Pink Ranger handled her aircraft with such expertise.

"Anyone else ready for some food?" Justin asked suddenly, causing his friends to laugh.

"He's definitely spending too much time with Rocky!" Trini gasped, leaning against Billy's shoulder as she tried to regain normal breathing.

"HEY!" Rocky and Justin protested. The others continued to laugh at the Red and Beige Rangers' expense.

~*~

9:00 P.M.  
Command Chamber

Jason leaned against the wall by the lift, arms crossed over his chest and feet crossed at the ankles, watching the petite figure staring at the original Ranger suits that were on display behind the shatter proof glass. She'd been standing there for nearly twenty minutes, and the only movement she'd made had been to reach out and place her palm over the glass in front of the Pink Ranger suit.

"Hey, we were wondering where you two disappeared to," Trini murmured as she, Zack and Billy walked off the lift and found Jason and Kimberly in the Command Chamber.

"She's been awfully quiet tonight. Alpha 6 said every chance she gets she's been coming in here and staring at those suits, sometimes for hours on end," Jason whispered. "I wish there was something more we could do to help."

Billy patted Jason's arm. "We are doing something, Jase. Simply by being with her, we're letting her know that we're here, that she isn't alone. Jason, do you remember when my mother died?" Billy asked, watching the Green Ranger nod. "Do you remember what you, Trini, Zack and Kim told me?"

"That we were there for you, that you weren't alone, and that even if we couldn't understand how you felt, we would listen if you needed to talk." Billy nodded.

Zack smiled. "We've all had our share of tough times, of losing someone important. Trini and I both lost our grandmothers, Billy lost his mom, and you lost your Uncle Max. We were all there for one another when we went through those events, and we were there for Kim when her parents split. Just like all those other times before, we'll be here this time to get each other through it."

"I couldn't image what Billy went through losing his mom, but now that we've got this link with each other, and I can feel what Kim is feeling, I have an idea how much it hurt," Trini spoke, leaning against Billy.

"What Kim's feeling is ten times worse than what I was feeling. There was nothing I could do to prevent my mother from dying from cancer, but Kim is feeling like she should have stopped Ivan."

Kimberly's eyes were closed but she could feel their presences and hear their voices. It had been so long since it had just been the five of them, and even then it hadn't felt complete, not until Tommy had come into the picture. To know they were behind her, just like when her parents had split up, was enough to give her the courage and the strength to keep fighting. Even though a lot of things had changed, Kimberly knew their friendship wasn't one of them. "Hey Sis," Zack spoke softly into her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist as he leaned his chin on her shoulder from where he stood behind her.

"Hmm?"

"You ok?" Trini asked, taking Kim's hand in her own. Billy stood to Trini's left and Jason moved to Kim's right, taking her free hand from the glass and holding it in his much larger one.

"I was just thinking, no matter how much everything changes, that this is one of the few constants I've had in my life for more years than I can count."

"What do you mean?" Jason asked.

"I mean the five of us, six when you include Tommy. I don't know where I'd be without the five of you." Kimberly pulled away from them, turning to face the ones who'd stood beside her for more years than anyone. "Thank you, you guys, for always being there for me. I'm sorry for moping, I know there wasn't anything I could have done to prevent Ivan from killing Dad, but it's taking me longer to accept that it happened."

"That's understandable Kimberly," Trini smiled at her friend. "No one's expecting you to get over losing you Dad that quickly."

"Take some advice from someone who's been there," Billy smiled sadly at her. "It's never going to stop hurting, but it will get easier to deal with. He'll live on forever in your memories, in your heart, and that's something no one can take from you."

Kim smiled. "Thanks guys."


	6. Chapter 5: Soulmates

Return Of The Great Power  
Book 2 - Revelations  
Chapter 5: Soulmates  
By Pink-Green-White-4ever  
Last Revised: March 30, 2005

"Would you rather marry a friend or a lover? I'd marry my soul mate." ~~ from "How To Make An American Quilt"

Dedication: Marcus thanks for the laughs! I hope you love this chapter as much as you’ve liked the others!

AN: What I got for the pow-wow was off the internet, don’t remember the site since it’s been over a year since I got the information. I tried to stay as true to the information I found, so if something’s off, I apologize.

~~

Friday  
August 23, 2002  
9:45 A.M.  
Angel Grove  
Cranston-Scott-Oliver Residence

“What are we doing?” Justin mumbled as he, Tanya, Kat, and Billy hauled coolers, tents, sleeping bags and gym bags from the garage at Billy’s into a pile near the driveway.

“Rocky, Adam and Tommy are gassing up their trucks for the trip. Kim, Trini, Jason, and Zack are shopping for food and last minute supplies and Aisha is at the Youth Center picking up our lunch from Ernie,” Billy told him, tossing a couple sleeping bags at Kat and Tanya.

“I understand that,” the sixteen year old muttered. “I meant, where are we going?”

Kat smiled. “Out to the reservation, to see Sam and David.”

Justin’s eyes got wide. He’d heard all about Tommy’s brother and the elderly Native American, he’d just never gotten a chance to meet either of them. “We’re spending the weekend at the reservation?” Justin asked, his excitement getting the better of him.

“Yep!” Tanya laughed, enjoying seeing Justin’s enthusiasm.

“Alright!”

~*~

10:15 A.M.  
Stone Canyon Indian Reservation  
Trueheart Residence

“David?” Sam Trueheart called out as he moved from the study toward his son’s room, where the steady clank of fingers on the keys of a keyboard could be heard.

“Yeah?”

“Is everything set for their arrival?” Sam asked as he stopped at the entrance of his son’s room. David was sitting at the computer, typing up a report for one of his college courses.

“Yes Dad.”

“David?” At the insistent sound of his name from his father’s lips, David looked up from the computer screen and turned to face his father. He could see the question in Sam’s eyes.

“All he told me was that they had a surprise for us.” Sam smiled. David didn’t know what was going on, but he did. Tommy had once again taken up the duty entrusted to him years before, and this time, there were more than six of them. “Hey Dad?”

“Yes?”

“He sounds happier than he has in a while. Should I be worried about this surprise?”

Sam chuckled. “No David. His light has been returned to him, for the Pink Crane has returned to fly in the skies alongside the White Falcon, just as it was always meant to be.” David’s brow furrowed in confusion. Tommy had briefly mentioned how he’d learned that his animal spirit was a falcon, but he’d also mentioned that his friends and fellow Rangers had animal spirits as well. Rocky was the Ape, Billy the Wolf, Adam was a Frog, and Aisha, whom he’d met briefly a few months back, was a Bear. Then there had been Kimberly, who he hadn’t met, but whom Tommy mentioned had been the Crane and passed those powers onto the beautiful and gentle Katherine.

“Huh?” David finally asked. Sam merely smiled.

“You shall see. Come, we must go shopping if we are to properly feed your brother and your friends.” David nodded, hit save, shut the computer down and then followed his father out of the house.

~*~

11:45 A.M.  
Angel Grove  
Cranston-Scott-Oliver Residence

“Are you ok?” Aisha asked Kim as the two packed the picnic lunch Ernie had made for them into one of the coolers.

“I’m nervous. The majority of you have already met Sam and David. I haven’t.”

Aisha nodded. She’d gotten to meet the pair during her last trip home. Rocky, Kat, Tanya, Billy, Adam and Jason had met both Sam and David during the Zeo Crisis, after Aisha had left the team. “Kim, you’ve never been nervous or worried about how people perceive you before, why now?”

“You weren’t around the first time I met Tommy’s parents and grandparents. I was a nervous wreck,” Kim laughed shakily. She couldn’t explain why making a good impression on Tommy’s brother was bugging her so much – the rest of his family had loved her to pieces and she had known it.

Aisha simply looked at Kim, who she knew had a good point. “Yes, but the entire Oliver Family loves you.”

“They use to, now there’s no saying how they feel. I haven’t been over to the house to talk to his parents since the afternoon I told the others the truth about Florida, and I haven’t seen them since my dad’s funeral.” Aisha nodded, knowing that the day Kim spoke about had been shortly before Ivan had killed her father.

The yellow-short, white-tank-top wearing Aisha had been about to say something when a familiar dark green Ford Explorer pulled up in front of the boys’ house. “Well, look who’s here,” Aisha, commented as Tommy’s mother came up the walk. “Hello Mrs. Oliver,” Aisha smiled as Elizabeth joined the girls near Tommy’s Navigator.

“Aisha,” Elizabeth greeted before she spotted a very nervous looking Kim. “Kim.”

Kimberly smiled brightly. “Hello Mrs. Oliver.” Elizabeth smiled, hoping to put Kim at ease. The poor girl had been through so much the last few weeks.

Before Kim had time to react, Elizabeth had her wrapped in a hug. “Why haven’t you been by the house?”

Kim’s eyes welled at the sincerity in Elizabeth’s tone. “Things have been kind of…”

“Rough?” Elizabeth asked knowingly. “I can only guess how this has been for you; you’ve had a rough few weeks. Kimberly, dear, I was dead serious when I said don’t be afraid to come by the house, you’re always welcome.” The older woman’s smile and demeanor put Kimberly at ease. “Now, where is that son of mine?”

Kimberly giggled and smiled, the trio turning toward the house. Standing on the porch watching them was Tommy. He had a silly grin on his face as he watched his mom and his girlfriend together.

“Young man, how many times do I need to remind you of something before it sticks in that brain of yours?” Elizabeth growled as Tommy stared at her in confusion. “Forget David’s birthday present?” she asked pointedly as she held out the bag in her hands and watched the blush creep onto Tommy’s face. “You’ve had this laying around the house for months, since David’s birthday party in April.”

“His memory is still Swiss cheese some days,” Kim cracked as Aisha and Elizabeth started laughing.

“You’re a very lucky young man,” Elizabeth muttered as she walked past the girls to the porch, handing Tommy the bag in her hands. “Call me when you get there. I’ve got to head to your father’s office for a bit then I’m going to be home. Alright?”

Tommy nodded and smiled sheepishly. “Thanks Mom.”

Elizabeth merely nodded. “Be careful and have a fun trip.” With that, Mrs. Oliver turned and headed to her car, but not before giving both the girls goodbye hugs.

“You ok?” Tommy asked as Kim headed back into the house.

The pink short-short and white tank top clad woman who held his heart smiled up at him. “Yeah, I am. Come on, we’ve got a million things left to pack.”

~*~

1:00 P.M.  
Near Stone Canyon Indian Reservation  
Rest Stop

“Ernie makes the best sandwiches in the world!” Justin nearly gushed as the group stopped at a rest area along the road to the reservation to have lunch. Tommy, Kimberly, Katherine and Jason had ridden in Tommy’s Navigator, which was packed with the lunch coolers and some of the tents. Rocky had driven his Dodge Durango with Aisha, Zack and Justin piled in, as well as some of the suitcases and gym bags, while Adam had driven his Chevy Avalanche with Tanya, Billy and Trini and the rest of their gear for the weekend.

“No doubt ‘bout that,” Zack joked, diving into his sandwich. Billy and Trini nodded their agreement while Tanya, Kat and Aisha laughed. Rocky was too busy plowing through his sandwich to pay attention to the conversation. Jason was watching Kimberly pick at her food while Adam and Tommy talked about how much longer the drive would be.

“Kimberly, are you ok?” Jason asked softly, not wanting to bring the attention of the team to their Pink Ranger before it was time to.

Kim sighed and then smiled up at Jason. “I’m fine, just nervous I guess.” Jason nodded his understanding. He’d been kind of freaked out to meet Tommy’s brother as well, so he sort of understood Kim’s mood.

“It’s gonna be ok. David’s really cool, and you’re going to love Sam. He’s got a way of just knowing things about a person without being told.”

The pink and white clad woman smiled softly. “Tommy told me they know we were Rangers.”

Jason nodded. “David got kidnapped by Mondo shortly after Tommy found him. He inadvertently found out we were Rangers.”

Kim winced. Zordon probably hadn’t been happy about that. Jason just smiled, remembering back to when he’d been told about Tommy’s brother, and then meeting David Trueheart for the first time. “You’re gonna freak when you see how much Tommy and David look like one another. If Tommy hadn’t cut his hair, they could have probably passed for twins.”

Jason’s comment made Kimberly laugh, and then stopped her short. She’d been meaning to ask Tommy about the haircut for weeks now but always seemed to forget about it when more important things came up.

“How much longer are we gonna break for?” Aisha directed her question to Tommy, gaining everyone’s attention.

“Probably another half hour or so, that way we can all stretch and what not before getting back in the cars.” The team nodded in agreement then went back to their lunches.

~*~

2:15 P.M.  
Stone Canyon Indian Reservation  
Main Entrance

“Wow,” Kim whispered as the caravan drove down the main highway from Angel Grove to the Reservation. There was a small guard station almost like you’d see at a national park, about a quarter of a mile ahead of them on the left. It stood as the only marker to the entrance of the Reservation. It was one of the new security measures put in place to help preserve the reservation.

“Can I help you?” the guard asked as Tommy pulled up to the booth.

“I’m Tommy Oliver. I’m here to see Sam and David Trueheart.” The guard smiled and nodded. He had been informed of the group coming to visit the father and son pair.

“How many are in your party, Mr. Oliver?”

“The Red Durango and Black Avalanche behind me.” The guard nodded and then waved the three cars through.

~*~

Tommy grinned goofily at Kimberly as he drove down the familiar road to his brother’s. His girlfriend sat in the passenger seat next to him, but she was leaning against his shoulder, sound asleep.

Jason and Katherine sat in the back, talking quietly and laughing occasionally. “Are we there yet?” Jason teased Tommy, making his voice sound like it did when he’d been thirteen.

“Yeah Dad! Are we there yet?” Kat laughed. Tommy looked up into his rearview mirror and glared at them.

“Ask me that again, and I’ll kick both your asses.”

“Now, now children, play nice,” a sleepy voice threatened in good humor.

Jason and Kat laughed as Kim looked up at Tommy, who was scowling at her. “Are we there yet, Baby? My legs are cramping.” Kim’s soft query had Tommy’s eyes softening.

“Almost. Another ten minutes or so,” Tommy promised, moving his right hand from the steering wheel so it rested on Kim’s thigh, just below where her shorts ended.

“Come on now, no hanky panky with kids in the car!” Jason teased. Kim turned her head, glaring at him. Turning back around, she moved her own hand so that it rested on top of Tommy’s on her leg.

~*~

2:30 P.M.  
Stone Canyon Indian Reservation  
Trueheart Residence

The three trucks stopped in front of a moderately sized blue and brown house, where two familiar figures stood on the wrap-around porch. “Welcome,” the older man, dressed in a pair of black slacks and a brown jacket, started as the team gathered at the bottom of the steps. “Tommy, it is good to see you once more.”

“Sam,” Tommy called back, smiling, as he walked up the steps to give the Shaman a hug. Jason, Billy, Adam, Rocky, Aisha, Katherine and Tanya smiled at the familiar pair. Trini and Zack looked from David, to Tommy, back to David and then back to their leader. Jason had been right when he’d told them if Tommy hadn’t cut his hair, he and David would have looked like twins. For his part, Justin stared at the two Native Americans in awe. He’d heard so much about them from the others that he wasn’t sure how to react now that they were standing in front of him. Kimberly, however, was the quietest of the group. She studied the two men carefully. Sam was old and slow in moving, but one look into his eyes told Kimberly that he may be old in body but certainly not in spirit. She could also tell he was wise, gentle and a man she could trust. Then her eyes took in David. He and Tommy were the spitting image of each other. While Tommy seemed a bit more open, David seemed a tad more reserved, though he did greet those he was familiar with, with the ease of friendship. She saw his deep brown eyes sweep over Trini, Zack and Justin before they landed on her. The Pink Ranger took a gulp of air as he measured her, but she never let her gaze waver.

“Are you going to introduce us to your other friends or what?” David teased Tommy, turning his gaze away from Kimberly to let it rest on his younger brother.

Tommy stepped back down the steps and started the introductions. “You already know Kat, Billy, Rocky, Jason, Adam, and Tanya. And you’ve briefly met Aisha.”

Sam and David nodded. “This is Justin Stewart, Trini Kwan, Zack Taylor, and,” Tommy smiled, pulling Kim up the steps with him. “This is Kimberly Hart.”

David blinked when he heard her name. He’d never thought he’d get to meet the girl who’d broken his brother’s heart. “The shinning Pink Crane has returned to the light,” Sam spoke, stepping toward Kimberly, taking her free hand in both of his.

Kim simply stared at Sam in shock. “You’ve learned to fly again, and in doing so, have taught the others courage as well. I commend you, graceful Crane, on your accomplishment.” Patting Kimberly’s hand briefly, Sam then turned to address Tommy. “It has been many months since you last graced us with your presence, White Falcon. How have you been?”

Tommy grinned sheepishly. “Better than I have in a long time.” Tommy’s eyes strayed to Kimberly, then to their joined hands.

Nodding his understanding, Sam motioned for the group to follow him. “We do not have much space, but please make yourselves comfortable.”

“Thank you for inviting us out for the weekend Mr. Trueheart,” Jason thanked Sam.

“We are pleased to have you, Green Dragon,” Sam smiled, watching Jason stare in startled surprise. Then Jason’s words to Kimberly earlier came back to haunt him. ‘You’re going to love Sam. He’s got a way of just knowing things about a person without being told.’

“Dad said something happened. Care to fill us in?” David questioned Tommy as the fourteen found places to sit in the Truehearts’ living room. Silently, Tommy reached around to his back and pulled his power coin from his morpher, handing it to David. “No way!”

“Yes way!” Adam laughed. “Only now there are twelve of us.”

“Instead of six,” David murmured, handing the gold coin back to his little brother. “What powers?”

“Morphin and Ninja again,” Tommy filled him in.

“I know some of your animal spirits; wanna clue me in on the others?”

“Well, Aisha, Rocky, Billy, Adam and mine, you already know,” Tommy started as David nodded.

“Yeah, and colors too. Yellow, Red, Blue, Black and White.”

“Kat’s now the Orange Tiger, Tanya’s the Purple Panther, Justin’s the Beige Puma, Zack’s the Gold Eagle, Jason’s the Green Dragon, Trini’s the Turquoise Gazelle,” Tommy supplied.

“And beautiful Kimberly is once again the Pink Crane.” Sam smiled when Kim blushed and tried to hide her face in Tommy’s shoulder as she sat sideways across his lap on the couch. Sam had this look in his eyes that made her feel shy.

David watched the group carefully. Zack and Justin seemed engrossed in a side conversation with Rocky and Aisha. Billy and Trini had engaged Adam and Tanya in a conversation as well while Jason and Kat tuned into the main topic. ‘They’ve all paired off except Justin and Zack’ David thought. Then he allowed his eyes to take in Tommy and Kimberly. The young man noticed how close the pair seemed. “So, Little Bro, when’d this happen?”

Tommy immediately understood what David was asking simply by the way David’s eyes seemed to shift from looking at him to looking at Kimberly snuggled in his arms. Smiling, the White Ranger shrugged. “In the last couple of months. Why?”

“Considering what part of this production I came in on the first time, I’m wondering.”

“Things have been worked out, and the truth has been put out in the open.”

David nodded. Tommy’s happiness, really, was all that counted, and if he was happy with Kim, then that’s all David cared about, however, the young man could feel something prickling the back of his mind, though he couldn’t put his finger on it.

~*~

5:00 P.M.

“What are we doing about sleeping arrangements?” Kat asked as the team rode on horseback later that afternoon. David had wanted to take them out for a tour of the reservation, so they’d decided to have some fun while doing it.

“Well, we’ve got tents,” Tommy started.

Katherine rolled her eyes at him. “I know that, smart ass. I meant who’s sharing tents with whom?”

“Well,” Billy grinned at Trini, who shook her head at him. “Obviously, Adam and Tanya are in one tent and Zack and Justin are in another.”

“I think what Kat is getting at is are we sleeping girls together and boys together, or are we…” Trini trailed off, letting the others catch her train of thought.

Aisha laughed. “Guys, we’re not teenagers anymore,” she informed them. “We’re all responsible adults, who have slept in the same bed as their significant other before. Does anyone have an objection to sleeping in the same tent as their significant other?”

The boys laughed but shook their heads. Both Trini and Kat grinned their approval. Kim smiled up at Tommy, who nodded. This was going to prove to be an interesting weekend, Kim thought devilishly.

~*~

7:15 P.M.

The gang got back to Sam and David’s several hours later, just in time for dinner. Sam had prepared a feast in honor of their first night. David and Tommy had started a bon fire out in the yard, which they all gathered around as they ate.

When everyone had settled down to listen to Sam tell stories from his tribe’s past, Tommy found Kim sitting apart from everyone else, staring up at the night sky quietly. “Hey,” he started softly, not wanting to scare her, placing a butterfly kiss on her shoulder.

“Hmm?”

“You ok?”

Kim smiled at him before returning her attention to the stars. “I was just thinking about Zordon, and everything we went through with him, and now all the things we’re going through without him. I keep finding myself wishing he was here to guide us,” she told him softly. “I feel so lost without him.”

Tommy wrapped an arm around her shoulders when she leaned against him. “Me too.” They’d shared a similar conversation before, one that had dissolved into action when Tengas had attacked them. This time, they had time to reflect on their thoughts. The pair sat quietly for a few more minutes before Kim leaned over and kissed Tommy, causing the dark haired man to moan in appreciation. It seemed to Tommy, that he was starving for her kisses even though they’d share quite a few since they’d gotten back together. “I love you,” Tommy moaned against her lips, all the while pulling her into his lap.

Kimberly tensed briefly when she realized she was straddling Tommy’s lap but chided herself. This was the love of her life, the one person she could trust beyond measure. She knew she had no reason to fear him. “Tommy,” Kim whined softly in his ear when he kissed her soft neck, his tongue occasionally flicking out to taste her skin.

“Beautiful,” Tommy breathed, deeply inhaling her familiar strawberry and vanilla scent. He knew how fast things would progress if they didn’t slow down. ‘Kinda like our first time’ Tommy thought with a longing he didn’t realize was possible.

Likewise, Kimberly could read his mind even without her powers. “Baby.”

“Hmm?” Tommy asked, pulling her against his chest, tucking her head just under his chin.

“I love you, Tommy.”

“Love you too.”

While the two of them were cuddling together, the others were still around the bon fire. Zack and Justin had broken out the chocolate bars, marshmallows, and graham crackers to make Smores while the others talked with David and Sam. “He looks happy,” David nodded toward his brother. Jason laughed when he and Kat turned to look at the engrossed couple under the tree.

“You have no idea,” Jason joked. “It’s taken them a long time to get it right.”

“How are you taking this?” David suddenly questioned Kat, who laughed.

“Very well, considering I have the same feelings for Tommy as Tanya, Sha and Trini do.” David laughed. He knew the three girls thought of Tommy like a brother. “Besides, I have my own happy ending sitting next to me.”

David watched the way Jason and Kat looked at one another. ‘Just like Tommy and Kimberly’ he mused to himself.

~*~

Saturday  
August 24, 2002  
12:15 A.M.

Rocky lay on his stomach watching Aisha sleep next to him in their tent. He smiled to himself, still amazed that he and his best girl friend had finally moved past friendship to something deeper. Losing her to Africa and then his injury during the Ninja tournament right before Murianthias had forced him to reevaluate exactly where Aisha stood in his life all those years ago.

“You’re staring,” a sleep-filled voice, informed him, shaking Rocky from his thoughts.

“Can’t help it if I’ll never get my fill of my beautiful and multi-talented girlfriend.”

Aisha rolled her eyes. “Flattery will get you no where,” she informed him. “It’s late, what are you still doing up?”

“Can’t sleep,” Rocky told her, laying his head on his folded arms.

“Rocky, lay down with me,” Aisha softly told him, snuggling back into her sleeping bag. Rocky stretched an arm out, taking hold of her small hand before drifting off to sleep.

~*~

10:35 A.M.

The next morning found the team waking before dawn and enjoying the sunrise, something many of them hadn't done in quite a while. After breakfast, courtesy of Sam, David suggested going on another trail ride. Kimberly and David soon found themselves the last two of the group to be saddling their horses, as the two were the most experienced horseback riders and had helped the others mount up.

"You have a beautiful home," Kim spoke, attempting to draw David into a light conversation. She'd noticed the night before, and through breakfast, that he'd been glaring at her, his reasons unknown.

"Thank you," David spoke in clipped tones. He didn't want to spend more time in Kimberly's presence then was necessary. He’d finally figured out what had been bugging him about her – he didn’t like her or how she’d treated Tommy.

Kim bent the rules the team had issued as far as their new found powers were concerned and reached out to David's mind. What she found hurt her more than she could say - David wasn't happy that she and Tommy were back together. "You don't like me, do you?" Kim abruptly asked.

David was startled by the Pink Ranger's question. "I saw, first hand, what your letter did to him, so no, I don't really like you. However, my opinion on the matter doesn't count."

Kim shook her head, whether to clear it or to suppress her tears she couldn't say. "Your opinion matters, trust me. If you were to push the issue, Tommy would side with you."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you're his brother, his flesh and blood." That said, Kim hopped onto her horse and joined Rocky, Aisha and Justin's group.

David followed suit, directing his mount over to where Tommy, Jason, and Katherine were. David could see Tommy looking to Kim, then at him. "You and Kim aren't getting along well, are you?" Tommy suddenly asked.

"What makes you say that?" David asked, hoping to get his brother to leave the subject alone. All he wanted was a peaceful ride, not a confrontation on his reasons for disliking the beautiful Crane.

"I can read her mind, and yours," Tommy pointedly told him. "David, she and I were kids when we split, we both made a lot of mistakes. She's still punishing herself for what happened, please, don't add to her guilt."

David could see the depth and sincerity of Tommy and Kimberly's feelings for one another in their eyes, which only served to fuel his anger toward Kimberly. If she loved Tommy as much as David thought she did, then why had she broken Tommy's heart?

Quickly, the group of thirteen set off down one of the many trails leading from the Trueheart homestead, quiet and calm overtaking the group.

~*~

11:00 A.M.

"DAVID! LOOK OUT!" Kim's voice broke the young man's thoughts. There, directly in front of his horse, was a rattle snake, poised to strike. Quickly, Kimberly jumped from her own horse, rushed over, and distracted the snake long enough for David to back his mount up.

"KIM!" Jason cried out. Concentrating, the Pink Ranger used her telekinetic powers to lift the snake from the path and moved it several yards to her right, away from the rest of the riders.

"Kimberly Ann!" Trini yelled, hopping from her own horse and striding over to her friend. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Kim winced and looked up at Trini through her lashes. "I wasn't. I was trying to save David, and his horse."

"You could have gotten hurt!" Trini argued.

"Trini..." Kim was cut off as Tommy spun her around to face him. "Tommy, you're hurting my arm," Kim whimpered as his grip lessened slightly.

The White Ranger's eyes flashed with the color of his power. "Don't you ever scare me like that again, do I make myself clear?"

David sat on his horse, back away from where the trio stood. He could feel the fear radiating off every member of the group, especially from Tommy. Sighing, David jumped down and grabbed the reigns of his and Kim's horses. Silently, he moved to the small group. "Calm down you guys," David commanded softly, handing Kim her horse. "If Kimberly hadn't thought she could handle the situation, she'd have never intervened." Kim graced him with a small smile for coming to her defense.

"Thank you David."

"I think that's my line," David joked. "After all, you saved me and my horse."

Kim blushed and shrugged; she'd only let her instincts guide her. "No big deal," Kim demurred, jumping up into her saddle before moving to join Rocky and Aisha, seeking shelter in their presences. Aisha could tell Kim didn't like what she thought was hollow praise from Tommy's brother. Aisha herself could detect a trace of animosity from David where Kimberly was concerned.

"What a jerk," Aisha muttered, loud enough for only Kim and Rocky to hear.

"Sha," Rocky reprimanded softly.

"I'm sorry, but she's a very likable person, he's not even trying to see things from her perspective." Rocky nodded, not wanting to incur Aisha's wrath.

"Are we gonna ride or is everyone waiting for that rattler to come back?" Kim impatiently asked. She knew if she could feel Aisha's feelings and thoughts, then so could the others; the team wasn't adept enough to hide such strong feelings from one another just yet.

"Kim's right, let's ride," Kat spoke, narrowing her eyes at David before trotting forward to talk to Tanya.

~*~

1:00 P.M.

Sam knew something was wrong when the group of twenty-something’s and the young Justin returned around one o'clock. Kim seemed to separate herself from the group and several of Tommy's friends were glaring at David. Almost immediately, Sam got a taste of the cloud hanging over the group, instantly knowing what was going on. "David, may I speak with you, alone?"

The pair ambled into the house, leaving the others to rub down their horses. "Dad?"

"Your animosity is hurting him," Sam began, raising a hand to ward off David's protests. "If he can forgive her, if they can as a team, why can you not? If any has a right to be angry with her, it would be them."

David sighed. "He's so willing to trust her; they all are, after what she put them through."

"Have you stopped to think there might be a reason, that you know not of, for that to be the case?" David shook his head. "David, I've had visions, for months now, about your brother and his friends. They have been through much in their young lives, and still have much more to go through. The two of them are meant to be together, for they are the core of the Rangers' powers - a fact their mentor recognized years ago. This is why their powers were stolen so easily before - because they were separated. There is more..."

"Like what?"

Sam smiled. "The Animals of Light."

David gasped, and then began to recite the tale from his memory. "The aloof Puma will give way to the majestic Mustang. The patient Frog and stealth Panther will pass their strength to the mythical Unicorn and wise Leopard. The soaring Eagle shall be followed by the beaming Hawk..."

"The wise Wolf and elegant Gazelle shall bring the princely Elk and fun-loving Dolphin into this world. The mighty Ape and the fierce Bear shall birth the noble Lion and the chattering Spider Monkey. From the mysterious Dragon and the mystical Tiger, shall come the unwavering Orangutan and the silent Python. And finally, from the beautiful Crane and handsome Falcon shall come the brotherly Panda and the flaming Phoenix," Sam finished. "Do you understand? Your friends, your brother, and Kimberly - they are the Animals of Light."

David nodded numbly. The prophecy went on to speak of the soulmate pairs and how the Animals would come to this world. "I didn't realize..."

"I know. If you had, we would not be having this conversation."

The pair made their way outside after they finished speaking, only to find the Rangers arguing. "Kimberly, you can't be serious!" Trini argued.

"I am. I think I should head back. Alpha can teleport me to mine and Aisha's apartment. It's pretty obvious the weekend isn't going to be relaxing if you all have to worry about me or David's feelings toward me."

Kimberly was just reaching for her teleport button when David shot down the steps and covered the communicator with his hand. "Don't go," he told her with sincerity.

"You're not comfortable with me here and this is hurting Tommy. If my going back means he isn't stuck in the middle, then so be it."

"Kimberly, don't go. Look, I wasn't happy about this because he's my brother and I don't want to see him get hurt, but I also have to acknowledge that I haven't seen him this happy since I met him." Kimberly looked up at David and saw that his words were no less than the truth. "Stay, please." She nodded slowly. "Com on, let's get the deck cleared off and then we can start on dinner." David wrapped an arm around Kimberly's shoulders and led her up the stairs and around the back of the house, the others following.

~*~

8:30 P.M.

Tommy, Jason, Rocky, Adam, Justin, Zack, Billy and David gathered in the yard, just beyond the fire pit, after dinner was over, sparring with one another while Sam sat on the steps with the girls, watching them and laughing. "How have you lovely warriors faired thus far?" Sam asked, having seen the news reports every night since the Rangers had regained their powers.

The girls laughed and giggled. "So far so good. I think the bad guys will learn really quickly that female Rangers are most formidable fighting opponents," Trini laughed.

Sam smiled. Trini, Aisha, Kat and Tanya chattered away about their recent battles but Kim remained silent. "How are you feeling, graceful Crane?"

"I'm tired. I think I'm going to head to bed." Sam nodded and watched Kimberly move to where the tents were set up before she disappeared into the one she and Tommy were sharing for the weekend.

"Where's Kim?" Tommy asked as the boys came over to get some water, their bottles sitting on the steps near the girls and Sam.

"She went to bed," Sam told him. Tommy nodded goodnight then headed for the tent as well, knowing instinctively that Kimberly wasn't feeling well. When he crawled in, Tommy found Kim just snuggling down to sleep. She wore a pair of pajama shorts and one of his t-shirts that she'd confiscated before she and Aisha had moved.

"Hey you," Tommy murmured, stripping down to his boxers then throwing on his t-shirt that he'd slept in the night before.

"Hmm?" Kim mumbled, curling into a ball facing him.

"You ok?"

Kimberly nodded. "Tired."

"It's been a long day. You've been unusually quiet tonight. Are you sure you're alright?"

Smiling, she assured him. "I'm fine."

Tommy pulled her to his side, wrapping his arms around her. "'Night Beautiful."

"Goodnight Handsome."

~*~

Sunday  
August 25, 2002  
2:30 A.M.

"AAH!"

"DAD!"

Tommy and Kimberly scrambled from the safe haven of their tent and found Klank, Goldar, Elgar and some cogs running amuck on Sam's property. Klank was directing the cogs, who had Sam and were dragging him from the house.

"SAM!" Jason hollered. The majority of the team was engaged fighting Elgar and the cogs. Jason and David were trying to get to Sam, but weren't having much luck because Goldar was blocking their path.

"Tommy, help Jason and David. I'll get Sam," Kim told her boyfriend, who nodded.

"Be careful!" Tommy called over his shoulder as he bounded to his best friend and brother's rescue.

"NINJA RANGER POWER! THE CRANE!" Quickly, Kimberly moved, slide teleporting to behind Klank then using her decoy suit trick to confuse him. "SAM MOVE!" Kim called to the elderly man, who stumbled out of the line of her fire. "PINK CRANE CROSSBOW!"

Klank screamed in pain as Kimberly shot an arrow through his hand as he raised it to grab a hold of Sam's shoulder. "Hold it right there, Shiny."

"Well, Pink Ranger, we finally meet. King Mondo and Queen Machina are looking forward to meeting you as well."

Kim grinned under her hood. "You tell Mondo, if I ever see his ugly mechanical mug, I'll disassemble him so fast his head will spin. Oh, and tell Ivan, mess with Sam or David again, and I'll barbeque his ass."

"Really?" Klank sputtered.

"Really," Kim grinned again, and then closed her eyes, raising her crossbow. "PINK CRANE FLAMMING ARROW!"

The others watched on in shock as a pink flame erupted at the end of Kim's arrow. When she released it, the arrow screamed through the air, striking Klank in the shoulder. Before the Rangers had time to blink, Ivan's henchmen disappeared. "Kim?" Tanya gasped, her mouth hanging open.

"Power down!" Kim called, turning to Tanya once her ninja suit melted away. "Hmm?"

"What the hell was that?" Justin quipped, and then winced when Trini smacked him upside the back of his head. "Sorry."

"That, Justin, was a new way of using my crossbow," Kim told him, grinning from ear to ear as she helped Sam to his feet. "They'll think twice before they mess with this Pink Ranger." The team started laughing, Sam and David included.

~*~

4:15 A.M.

Tommy lay awake for a long time after everyone had gone back to bed, his arms wrapped around Kimberly, holding her close to his body. Once again, the woman who held his heart had done something that amazed him. Even though she was still very unsure of David’s feelings toward her, she’d jumped head first into the task of saving him and his father, never once thinking of her own well being as she faced off with their enemies.

“You’re thinking too loudly,” Kim murmured, causing Tommy to chuckle. Carefully, she moved her head so she could kiss Tommy’s now bare chest; his shirt had been ruined in the fight with Goldar. “Go to sleep, they’re fine.”

Tommy smiled down at her, kissing the top of her head before pulling her closer, so that she was practically lying on top of him. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Kim yawned, burrowing against him, enjoying his warmth and the love she felt radiating from him for her. “Other than the few minor incidents, it’s been a pretty good weekend so far.”

“Yes it has. Too bad we have to head home tomorrow morning.”

Kim giggled. “Yeah, but we can always come back.” Pushing herself up, so that she was leaning on an elbow, Kim looked down into Tommy’s face. “I’m glad you brought us up here.”

“Even though you and David argued?” he asked teasingly, his hands caressing her back and her arms.

“Yep.”

Tommy smiled up at her, cradling her face in his hands, before kissing her deeply. “Let’s get some sleep. If I know Justin, he’s going to want to be up early to go down to the Pow-wow,” he told her, sighing as she laid her head on his chest, snuggling in close.

“I’m looking forward to that myself,” Kim yawned before she let her dreams carry her away.

~*~

10:00 A.M.

“Where’s Sam? He left awfully early this morning?” Zack asked, yawning, as the team gathered in the kitchen with David to eat breakfast.

“Dad’s been asked to be the Master Of Ceremonies for the Pow-Wow today. He’s gone down to the arena to get ready to cleanse it. He likes to meditate for two hours before he performs the cleansing.”

“What time are we going down?” Justin asked excitedly.

David smiled at the young man. “As soon as Mia arrives. She’s a friend of mine, from school. She’ll be dancing during the festivities.”

“Just a friend or more than a friend?” Rocky asked jokingly, laughing when David blushed beet red.

“Leave him be, Rocky!” Kim ordered the Red Ranger. “David, pay him no mind. Unfortunately, his mother and Aisha are still looking for his missing brain.” The team laughed and Rocky scowled at their Pink Ranger. David merely chuckled and nodded to Kim.

The knock on the front door startled them all. “Justin, will you go get that please?” David asked, continuing to flip the pancakes he and Tommy were attempting to make.

“Sure.” Justin raced out of the kitchen and down the hallway to the front door, which he threw open. “You must be Mia.” Standing before him was a lovely you Native American woman, in her mid twenties. Her long black hair was in two braids that hung over her shoulders, her dark eyes glowed with amusement and her smile radiated warmth. Justin noted she wasn’t much taller than Aisha and Kimberly and was just as petite.

“I am. Is David here?” Mia asked. David had told her that his brother was bringing his friends, but she hadn’t known Tommy was friends with someone so young.

“He’s in the kitchen making pancakes with Tommy. I’m Justin. Come on in.” Justin stepped back and allowed the young woman to enter the house. After shutting the door, he led her down the hallway to the kitchen where the others were lazing about, teasing Rocky yet again. “David, Mia’s here.”

David turned from laughing at Rocky with Aisha to smile at Mia. “Come on in, they don’t bite, hard,” David teased as Mia moved to hug him.

“When you told me you were having company, I didn’t think you’d have this many people,” Mia laughed as she pulled back and surveyed the room.

“Allow me to introduce everyone. You already know Tommy,” David said, gesturing to his brother whom Mia smiled at. “That’s Kimberly, his girlfriend, Jason, Katherine, Aisha, Rocky, Adam, Tanya, Billy, Trini, Zack and you’ve already met Justin.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you,” Mia smiled. “You’re dad is just about ready to start, so he sent me to get you.”

David nodded. “How much longer?”

“About twenty minutes, give or take.”

“Enough time for us to eat breakfast,” Aisha laughed, turning her smile to Mia. “Hungry?”

~*~

10:45 A.M.

“David, what’s going on?” Trini carefully questioned as the group stood around the outside of the inner ring of the arena while Sam continued the cleansing ceremony.

“As soon as Dad’s finished, they’ll play the Flag Song, it’s kind of like the National Anthem,” David told her. “Dad usually calls all special guests out to the middle of the arena to stand before everyone during the playing of it.”

“This is neat,” Justin gasped.

“Justin, you remember everything Mia said, don’t you?” Katherine asked the young man, who nodded.

“Don’t enter the ring unless asked to, don’t touch the drums, and if an eagle feather falls, you have to stand until its back in its proper place.”

Kat smiled at him, glad that he’d been paying attention. The last thing they needed was to insult their hosts by doing something wrong.

~*~

12:00 P.M.

“Wow, Mia, you’re costume is beautiful,” Kim commented, and then swatted Justin’s outstretched hand. “You’re not supposed to touch it, Justin. A dancer’s costume is sacred; I’m sure Mia’s is a family heirloom. If she tells you that you can touch it, then you can, but until then, hands to yourself.”

Mia looked surprised that Kimberly would know so much about the customs of those who danced. “Kimberly, how’d you know that?”

Kim smiled. “I had a friend in Florida, when I was training for Pan Globals, who was a dancer. She attends the Gathering of Nations every year. She taught me a lot about her preparations and customs one afternoon when she was practicing.”

David stood off to the side with Tommy and watched Mia and Kimberly together. “I have to give her credit; she’s well versed on the dancers’ customs.”

Tommy nodded his agreement. “I didn’t know she knew.”

“I’ll bet Mia and the others ask her and the girls to join them, seeing how this isn’t a competition dance.” Tommy raised an eyebrow. He’d been to several Pow-Wows with David and Sam, and had seen the dances. He knew he’d enjoy seeing his girlfriend immersing herself in his heritage.

“I’d pay to see that.” David laughed at the goofy expression on Tommy’s face.

~*~

2:15 P.M.

During Mia’s dance, she and several of her friends came to the edge of the arena and gestured for Kimberly, Katherine, Tanya, Trini and Aisha to come out and dance with them. The boys hung back and watched in awe as their girlfriends, rather quickly David noted, began to move to the easy rhythm of the dance being performed.

“Wow, would you look at them,” Jason murmured as the tribe’s dancers stepped back and allowed the five guests a moment in the spot light. Around them, the boys noted the murmurs of approval from several of the tribe members and other guests at the girls dancing.

“It’s like they’ve been doing this for years,” Adam pointed out.

Zack grinned and chuckled. “You have to admit, our girls have got natural rhythm to begin with. Aisha and Kat both can dance fairly well, while Trini has her martial arts training and both Kimberly and Tanya have musical backgrounds. They have a natural beat they move to everyday, this type of dance plays to that.”

The others nodded. Sam soon joined them, after having spoken to several of the other tribal elders in attendance. “The girls dance beautifully.”

The guys smiled. “So we noticed,” Rocky grinned.

“When they are done, it will be time for dinner and for you to wander to the various tables that are set up.”

“What are at the tables?” Jason asked, curious. They’d spent the better part of the day watching the dances.

“Various things for you to purchase if you wish, or you may take part in demonstrations that are being performed,” Sam told them then stepped away to speak with one of his friends.

The group of males turned to watch their female counterparts for a few more minutes. When the dance was over, the girls returned, laughing and high-fiving each other. "That was awesome!" Jason commented as the girls stopped and then broke off to join their significant others, all except Kimberly, who still seemed wary about standing so close to David, who was standing close to Tommy. She seemed to set herself apart from the pair, so Kat and Jason moved to stand closer to her, as if to support and shield her.

"I'm hungry," Aisha quipped, causing the team to laugh. "What?"

"You sound like Rocky!" Justin laughed, causing Aisha to sputter in protest, Rocky wrapping his arms around her to calm her down.

"Come on, Sam said as soon as you guys were done, we could eat then browse," Adam laughed along with others at Aisha's indignation at Justin's comment. The group slowly made their way over to the tents that had been set up for dinner.

~*~

3:45 P.M.

"You ok?" Kat asked as she and Kim walked around together. The group had split up into smaller groups - Tommy, Jason, David and Justin had gone off in one direction, Rocky, Aisha, Adam and Tanya in another, and Billy, Trini, and Zack had wandered off in yet another.

Kim smiled warmly at her friend. "Yes and no. I guess I'm just not comfortable around him yet. I mean, I'm trying, but it's hard."

The tall blonde nodded and smiled at her friend. The two girls were walking arm in arm, looking at the tables under the tents. "Kat, let's head over to the arena, I want to look around now that no one's over there," Kim smiled as Kat nodded.

When the pair arrived, no one was near the arena. "It's peaceful here," Katherine murmured, Kimberly nodding in agreement.

"Well, well, look what we have here," a voice hissed, causing both girls to whirl around in shock. Standing before them was Goldar, a group of putties and Mordent.

The two Rangers shared a look, rolling their eyes at Goldar. "What do you want, you big baboon?" Katherine sneered back at him.

"Your deaths, Orange One. Barring that, I want you to suffer greatly before my master destroys your world."

Kim shook her head. "Like we haven't heard that before?"

"ATTACK!" Goldar roared as the putties surged forward.

"Well, Cousin?" Mordent snorted.

Goldar grinned. "Let the putties wear them out, and then we'll destroy them." Mordent nodded and the pair followed the escaping Rangers and putties.

Kim looked around in a panic at the sheer number of the putties, knowing that they'd be able to tire her and Katherine quickly without help. The panic doubled when she realized the putties had backed them up to the entrance of the center ring in the arena. While Kimberly knew they should run to the center to give themselves as much room as possible, she and Kat shared a look that said they both were trying to think about not going against the customs of David and Sam's people. "What do we do?" Kat hissed as she was thrown backwards toward Kimberly. "We can't step foot in there unless we're invited."

"I don't know!" Kim shot back, ducking the oncoming fist of the putty in front of her, which she followed immediately by slamming her own fist into the Z on its chest.

"Then I shall invite you in." Both girls gasped in shock and swung around, finding Sam and Mia standing in the center of the ring.

"Sam, if we come in there, things are going to get ugly cause these guys are gonna follow us!" Kimberly shot back as she continued to fight.

"It's alright, Kimberly, I know how to fight, and we have a few tricks up our sleeves," Mia assured the Pink Ranger, who turned her gaze to the Orange Ranger.

"Kim?"

"Kat, move your ass!" Kimberly hollered, sweeping low to down the putties while Katherine ran for Sam and Mia. When her friend was safe, Kimberly started a series of back hand springs, finally landing back to where Kat was taking a small breather.

Looking up, the blonde Ranger noticed the putties hadn't followed them. "They aren't coming after us."

"That's because they can't, Orange Tiger," Sam murmured. "This place was blessed earlier this morning; they cannot enter it, for it's a sacred place."

Kimberly sighed in relief and agitation. "So we're basically stuck here until the others come to help?"

"No, Kimmie! I'm going to kill you before your fellow Rangers come to help you!" Goldar hissed. Mia looked shocked as Kim, Sam, and Kat winced.

"What's he talking about, Kimberly?" Mia asked. The young woman saw the look on Kimberly's face and suddenly pieced the puzzle together. "You, Kat, the others, you're the Power Rangers, aren't you?"

Kimberly turned to Mia and simply nodded. "We've got to do something, otherwise we're toast."

"Pink Crane, have faith," Sam told Kimberly, watching an eyebrow arch before he turned to Goldar and Mordent. "If I were you, evil ones, I would not attempt to step into this sacred ring. You will feel the wrath of the spirits if you do not heed my words."

"We'll see about that, old man." Goldar turned and found Mordent standing next to him. Grinning like a fool, Goldar shoved Mordent forward, causing the swine to fall into the ring.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Mordent screamed in pain as he began to catch on fire from out of no where. Goldar growled while the three girls and Sam moved back involuntarily at the sight.

"Oh my God," Kat muttered, her stomach turning as Mordent was engulfed in the power displayed by the spirit realm. "That's sick."

"Serves his ass right," Kim muttered. "OK, so Goldar and the putties can't come in here without being asked. How about we call for backup?" Not waiting for a response, Kimberly touched her communicator. "Guys, this is Kim! We've got problems inside the arena! Morph and come help us!"

"Affirmative Kimberly!" Billy responded. Several seconds later, an array of color suited heroes, and David, arrived on the scene.

David, seeing his father and Mia in trouble, growled. "Looks like Kimberly has gotten them into a bit of trouble."

"It wasn't Kimberly's fault," Mia hissed at him as she invited the remaining Rangers and David into the circle. "That thing tried to kill her and Katherine."

"What's that pile of ashes there?" the Beige Ranger asked Kimberly.

"What's left of Mordent," Kimberly rolled her eyes as several helmets swiveled in her direction. "Long story, I'll explain later."

The White Ranger approached Kimberly while the Green Ranger moved toward Katherine. "Kim, what are you doing?" Tommy hissed to his girlfriend.

"Morphing. Kat, you ready?"

"When you are."

"It's Morphin' Time!" Kim called out. "Pink Ranger Power!"

"Orange Ranger Power!"

"Kimberly! Katherine!" Aisha gasped.

"Don't worry, Yellow Bear," Sam assured Aisha, and the team. "Mia found out thanks to the evil one's big mouth." His eyes were trained on Goldar who was fuming.

"Alright, let's kick it!" Rocky hollered as the team moved out of the circle, leaving Sam, David and Mia to watch them.

Silently, the team advanced on the putties, with Jason, Kimberly and Tommy taking Goldar. "White Falcon Sword!"

"Green Dragon Katana!"

"Pink Crane Tessens!"

Goldar stumbled back as the weapons appeared in the hands of the Rangers. Thus far, only Kimberly and Katherine had brandished their weapons against him. It seemed the Rangers were more prepared then he'd been told. "Your weapons are no match for me."

“We’ll just see about that!” Jason shot back at him, parrying his blows while Tommy readied an attack.

“WHITE FALCON...SWORD OF TRUTH!” Tommy held the broadsword in front of him then spun around, bringing it in an arc with him, letting its power build. When the blade struck Goldar, the titan roared in pain and collapsed to the ground.

The team and the putties stopped and stared in shock as Tommy stood over Goldar, his sword in his hands. “Oh my God!” Tanya gasped.

“You tell your masters, Goldar, that the Rangers are back and more powerful then ever.” That said, Tommy turned and walked away from the downed monkey.

When he was less than a foot away, Tommy found himself hitting the ground and the team screaming, “TOMMY!”

The White Ranger managed to roll in time to see his green counterpart unleash his own attack. “GREEN DRAGON...KATANA OF FIRE!”

Tommy let out a breath, swallowing hard, as the titan was engulfed in the green flames of Jason’s sword, his screams echoing around the arena. Goldar had been a permanent fixture in the Rangers’ struggles against evil from the beginning; he had always seemed to show up when the Rangers really didn’t need his presence. And Jason had just unknowingly freed him from his earthly imprisonment.

“Oh. My. GOD.” Trini’s muttered words weren’t heard as Billy spoke.

“Goldar’s dead.”

~*~

5:30 P.M.

The twelve Rangers sat on the steps of Sam's home, unnaturally quiet, while David, Sam and Mia stood watching them. Ever since Goldar's body had disappeared in a burst of light after Jason had killed him, none of them had talked except to power down. "Sam, are they going to be ok?" Mia asked softly, her heart aching for her new friends.

"I believe they are merely in shock. Eventually, they will come around," Sam explained, patting Mia's shoulder. "Rangers, may I speak with you a moment?"

Twelve sets of eyes looked up from the dirt to where Sam was standing before them. "What's wrong Sam?" Tommy asked.

"I have in my possession an old legend," Sam started. "It's called The Animals of Light Prophecy." Eyes narrowed in confusion as Sam continued. "The aloof Puma will give way to the majestic Mustang. The patient Frog and stealth Panther will pass their strength to the mythical Unicorn and wise Leopard. The soaring Eagle shall be followed by the beaming Hawk. The wise Wolf and elegant Gazelle shall bring the princely Elk and fun-loving Dolphin into this world. The mighty Ape and the fierce Bear shall birth the noble Lion and the chattering Spider Monkey. From the mysterious Dragon and the mystical Tiger, shall come the unwavering Orangutan and the silent Python. And finally, from the beautiful Crane and handsome Falcon shall come the brotherly Panda and the flaming Phoenix. Among them are the Soulmate pairs - the Frog and Panther, the Wolf and Gazelle, the Ape and Bear, the Dragon and Tiger, and the Falcon and Crane. The Puma will pair with a Rabbit and the Eagle shall pair with a Fox."

"So we've got two more Rangers to find? Why didn't Zordon mention that?" Justin asked suddenly. 'I'm paired with a Rabbit?' he thought in disbelief.

"Young Puma, I do not believe the Rabbit or Fox will be Rangers, or you would have already found them."

Kimberly cleared her throat, gaining everyone's attention. "Sam, is there anything else to this Prophecy?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, it goes on to say that the only way for the second generation of animals to come into being is for the defeat of the evil one who controls lightning and is the basis of all evil."

"Ivan." Jason's comment had the others nodding.

“That was my assumption as well, Green Dragon.”


	7. Chapter 6: Girl Power - Angela Returns

Return Of The Great Power  
Book 2: Revelations  
Chapter 6: Girl Power – Angela Returns  
By: Pink-Green-White-4ever  
Last Revised: May 31, 2005

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." William Morrow

~*~

Time unknown  
Wednesday  
August 28, 2002  
Ivan’s Ship  
Earth Orbit

“You summoned us, my lord,” Scorpina spoke as she, Klank with Orbus on his shoulder, Elgar, Rygog, Rito and Porto arrived on the bridge of Ivan’s ship, where Ivan, Zedd, Rita, Machina, Mondo, Divatox and Maligore sat.

“Yes Scorpina. I’d like you to begin working on a plan for the male Rangers, as for the rest of you,” Ivan spat. “Master Vile has alerted us to the presence of the Triforian Prince on his way to Earth; make sure he doesn’t reach the Rangers.”

~*~

8:30 P.M.  
Level 2 – Dinning Room  
Command Base

“Why am I so sore?” Trini murmured as the group sank down into their seats at the dinner table. Adam nodded in agreement, resting his head against the back of his chair. They had just spent four hours in their zords practicing maneuvers followed by two hours of repairs and tune-ups to the zords and the computers in the Command Chamber.

“I’m starving!” Justin muttered as he finished setting the table.

“Considering Rocky, Aisha, Kim and Jason have been in the kitchen for the last two hours,” Tommy started, sipping his water. “You’re going to have a feast laid out before you.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is served,” Jason called out, walking in with a pretty good sized turkey. Rocky followed with half a ham and Kim, Aisha, Kat and Billy walked in with a bunch of side dishes.

“Sweet!” Justin shouted, plopping in his chair.

Kim chuckled, “Easy, Justin.” Smiling, Kim took a seat between Tommy and Jason, leaning her head against her boyfriend’s shoulder while everyone got situated.

“Kim, you alright?” Zack asked suddenly. All eyes immediately went to their Pink Ranger.

Kim nodded. “I’m just tried, Zack. I’ll be fine once I fill my stomach with solid foods and then go and rest.” Tommy’s arm shot out, wrapping around her shoulder and pulling her closer. With the normal amount of chatter, the team dug into the feast before them.

Tommy, Justin, Zack and Adam cleared the table and started on the dishes after everyone was through while Trini and Tanya packed away any leftovers. “What now?” Rocky asked when everything was put away.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I need to head home soon. I have to work in the morning,” Tanya sighed as she plopped down on Adam’s lap.

“So do I,” Billy added. Most of the others nodded as well. Trini was working in Billy’s office as his personal secretary, Zack and Katherine were teaching and attending, respectively, at Angel Grove International Dance Academy, Adam and Tanya were working at the television and radio stations, Rocky had classes and meetings at the dojo and Aisha was working at the Vet’s office every other day of the week. Jason was on assignment with Angel Grove’s FBI unit and Tommy had classes.

“Justin, you busy tomorrow?” Kim asked softly, stifling a yawn.

The younger boy shook his head. “No. Why?”

“Well, you see, I was thinking of going to the beach tomorrow seeing as how everyone else has to work and I don’t. Wanna go?”

Justin smiled. “Sure.”

“Good. Be ready to go by ten.” Tommy smiled. He’d been worried that Justin would be bored seeing how he had school and both Jason and Billy had to work, which have left the teenager alone for the entire day. He’d also been worried about leaving Kim alone with Mike in town still and after everything that had happened with her father.

“Alright, let’s head out,” Jason called out as the group teleported back to the respective homes.

~*~

Time Unknown  
Ivan’s Ship  
Earth Orbit

“Report!” Lord Zedd bellowed as Rito and Klank arrived on the bridge.

“Unfortunately, Lord Zedd, the signal we were tracing from Pyramidas has disappeared. We do not know where Prince Trey is now,” Klank informed the former Emperor of Evil.

“Then you, Klank, will be the one to report to Ivan your findings. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, he’s not in a good mood.” Rito trembled where he stood and Klank seemed to sigh. Mondo wasn’t going to like this one bit either.

~*~

12:30 P.M.  
Thursday  
August 29, 2002  
Haven’s Cove  
Angel Grove Beach

Justin smiled widely as he and Kimberly stepped from the Pink Mustang convertible. The morning was sunny and already seventy degrees. The beach was completely filled with families and most importantly in Justin’s thoughts, teenage girls in skimpy bathing suits.

“Don’t get any ideas, young man,” Kim smiled as Justin turned to stare at her, his face twisted in a classic ‘Who Me?’ look. “Yes you.”

“I’m just admiring the scenery.”

“Riiiiiggggggght.” Kim motioned for him to help her with their things. Working together, the pair unloaded the cooler that contained the lunch Ernie had made them and a basket full of towels, sun screen, and the blanket Kim had borrowed from Billy. Quickly, they spread out the blanket and slathered on the sun screen. “You seem to forget, I’ve put up with Zack, Rocky and Jason for a long time.”

“Kimberly!” a high pitched voice called. Turning, Kim and Justin came face to face with a beautiful African-American woman about Kim’s age and a young, beautiful Caucasian brunette about Justin’s age.

“Angela, is that you?” Kim gasped as the older woman laughed and nodded. “Long time no see.”

“No kidding. Are you dating younger men now?” Angela teased, gesturing to Justin.

Kim smiled. “No. Tommy and I are back together. This is Justin Stewart. Justin, this is Angela Dupree.” Justin nodded and smiled. “And who’s this?” Kim asked.

“This is my little sister from the Boys and Girls Club, Katie Jane Anderson. K.J., this is Kimberly Hart.”

“THE Kimberly Hart? The Gymnast?” Katie asked in awe.

Kim blushed while Justin and Angela laughed at Kim’s expense. “The one and only,” Angela laughed. “So where are the others? I heard Jason, Zack, Trini and Billy were back in town.”

“They are, but they all have to work today, so I’m keeping Justin from being bored out of his mind,” Kim supplied. Angela nodded and then gestured to the two very enthralled teenagers. Kim laughed and nodded. “Why don’t you guys join us? Ernie made a huge lunch and I’m sure Justin would enjoy the company of someone his own age.”

“Are you sure? We wouldn’t want to impose.”

“No imposition,” Justin murmured, staring openly at K.J. who was staring back.

“Then it’s settled. Justin, why don’t you and Katie Jane go for a walk,” Kim suggested as the two teens nodded and then walked off.

Kim and Angela waited until they were out of ear shot before they burst out laughing. “Playing matchmaker?” Angela asked as she and Kim settled on the blanket.

“No. He’s kind of lonely, hanging with a bunch of twenty something’s. She’s sweet.”

“She is, and lonely as well. Her parents have been divorced for a year and her mom just moved here, dragging her with her all the way from Nebraska. She hasn’t made many friends yet because school’s out for summer.”

“Oh? Too bad Justin’s not in high school anymore. He graduated last year.”

Angel shook her head. “Wow. Sounds like someone else I know.”

Kim nodded. “He’s Billy-smart. In fact, Billy’s taken him under his wing in that respect.”

“That’s good. Billy’s a sweetheart.”

Smiling, Kim nodded. “Yeah, all the guys have been spending a lot of time with him. Jason, Tommy, Rocky and Adam are training him in Martial Arts and Zack’s teaching him music, dance and a little bit of Hip-Hop Kido. Us girls have been mothering and sistering him. Too bad he’s got to go back to Stone Canyon at the end of the summer.”

“Why?” Angel asked, slightly confused.

“That’s where his adopted parents live. He’s staying with Tommy, Jason and Billy for the summer. With the whole group home, we wanted everyone together.”

“Speaking of together,” Angela started, grinning. “How’d you and Tommy end up going another round?”

Kim laughed. “Long story. Needless to say, I told him what happened in Florida. He understood and we both admitted we still had feelings for one another.”

“That’s nice to hear. Let me tell you, it sure shocked the hell out of me when all of a sudden he started dating Katherine. Not that’s she’s not a nice girl, but you two were Angel Grove High’s Royal Couple, it was weird seeing him with someone else.”

“Tell me about it. I remember my visit home right after.”

“Wasn’t that around the time of graduation?”

“Yep. About a week before. It wasn’t pleasant, let me tell you,” Kim sighed. “But it was my own fault. I thought I’d found Mr. Right. Turned out I’d found one of the biggest assholes on the planet and had let go of the one thing that had given me a reason to live.”

“Dang girl, that’s pretty deep.” Kimberly nodded. “How’s Katherine taking you and Tommy being back together?”

Kim grinned. “Really well, considering she’s one of the ones who pushed for us to get back together.”

“What?” Angela asked in disbelief.

“She’s dating Jason, and we all know how he loves to play matchmaker.”

Angela laughed herself silly at that thought. “Kim! Angela! Come swimming with us!” Justin called. The two older women got up and made their way to the water.

The group of four splashed around for about two hours before they trudged up to their spot to settle down and eat lunch. Angela and Katie went and got their things, bringing them back near Justin and Kim’s stuff.

The two older members of the group were talking quietly about their plans for the evening when screams erupted not far from them. Kim and Justin’s gazes snapped to their left, finding Scorpina, Rygog, Elgar and Klank and Orbus along with some cogs and putties.

“Damn it all!” Kimberly muttered. “Angela, take Katie and go to the parking lot.”

Angela nodded, grabbing K.J.’s hand and taking off for her car. The other beach goers ran in all directions as Kim and Justin moved to face off with the goons. “Haven’t you learned your lesson yet?” Justin hissed, reminding them of the ass kicking that Tommy, Jason and Kimberly had dished out the previous weekend, which had resulted in both Goldar and Mordent being killed.

Scorpina raised an eyebrow. “Cocky, aren’t we?”

“No, confident; there’s a difference,” Justin sarcastically replied.

“Let’s get this over with,” Kim growled. Bringing her left wrist up, Kim hit a button, the one that called the Command Chamber. “Alpha 6, we’ve got problems! Send back up!” After dropping her wrist, Kim dropped into a familiar position. “Justin, don’t morph unless you have to.” That said the goons surged toward the Rangers.

~*~

2:45 P.M.  
Angle Grove International Dance Academy

“Zack here, what’s up?” Zack asked as he hid in the corner of his classroom.

“Kimberly and Justin are in trouble. They need assistance.”

Zack sighed. “Give me two minutes,” he muttered before he ran into his new office. He came out a minute later and motioned for his assistant to take over his class. Hurrying down the hall, Zack knocked on Katherine’s classroom door. When Kat came out, she saw the look on his face.

“Who?”

“Kim and Justin at the beach.” Kat nodded and turned back and went in to speak to her class.

“Class, I have a family emergency. Kristy, take over until I come back.”

Kat and Zack hurried down the hall. Making sure no one saw them, they teleported out.

Meanwhile, Billy, Trini, Rocky and Aisha had managed to get to the beach. When they arrived, Justin was fighting Elgar and Rygog and the cogs and Kimberly was fighting the putties, Scorpina, Klank and Orbus.

Aisha and Rocky jumped in to help Justin while Billy and Trini moved to help Kimberly.

“You will pay for destroying Goldar and Mordent!” Scorpina roared, swinging her sword at Kimberly. The sword never struck its target as a silver-tipped, orange colored arrow pierced the scorpion woman’s hand.

“Don’t even think it, you sad imitation of a bug!” Kat hissed as the familiar form of Scorpina roared in pain. The group caught sight of an orange dressed Katherine and a gold dressed Zack.

“Let’s do it!” Rocky called.

“NINJA RANGER POWER!”

“The Puma!”

“The Wolf!”

“The Gazelle!”

“The Ape!”

“The Bear!”

“The Crane!”

In a flash, six newly dressed ninjas appeared. “Do ya really think a change in your uniforms is going to stop us?” Klank questioned.

“Let’s find out, shall we?” Trini fired back. “TURQUOISE GAZELLE GLAIVE!”

“BLUE WOLF STAFF!”

“RED APE BUTTERFLY SWORDS!”

“YELLOW BEAR SAIS!”

“BEIGE PUMA LANCE!”

“PINK CRANE TESSENS!”

“GOLD EAGLE AXE!”

“ORANGE TIGER LONG BOW!”

The eight Rangers struck a pose with their weapons. Rygog laughed then nodded. Suddenly, the eight were standing on a deserted beach. “Ok, someone explain why they just up and disappeared,” Kat grumbled.

“Because they like messing with our heads,” Trini mumbled. “Let’s get back before we’re missed.” Six of the ninjas blinked out of sight, leaving Pink and Beige to power down.

“Let’s go find Angela and Katie,” Kim told Justin. The pair jogged up to the parking lot, finding the pair of girls waiting near Angela’s blue Ford Escort.

“You guys ok?” Justin asked as the two females nodded.

“What were those things?” Katie asked. Angela remained silent, knowing exactly what they were.

Kim noticed Angela’s silence, then the look in her eyes. “That was Scorpina, Elgar, Rygog, and Klank and Orbus along with some cogs and putties,” Kim informed her.

Kim and Justin could only watch as Katie stared in shock and Angela looked nearly calm, like she’d been through this before. “Angela, why weren’t you scared?”

The African-American beauty smiled. “Because they’ve been around since I was your age. The Power Rangers have fought them many times.” Angela met Kim’s gaze and smiled. “They won’t hurt you, because the Rangers will never let that happen.”

Kim saw what she’d only suspected before – Angela knew their secret. “Well, since our day was ruined by those goons, how about we head back to Jason, Billy and Tommy’s and wait for them to get home. I’m sure the others would love to see Angela and meet Katie.”

Kim guessed Justin knew what she did and smiled. It would be interesting to see Angela in the same room as Zack again.

~*~

4:45 P.M.  
Cranston-Scott-Oliver Residence

Tommy practically flew up the walk to his, Jason and Billy’s house. Billy had called him at school and let him know what had happened at the beach. The Blue Ranger had also informed him that Kim had gone straight to their house to stay with Justin.

Before the White Ranger could even get to the door, it was flung open and Kim came flying out. “KIM!” he yelped as he hauled her into his arms.

“I’m fine,” she whispered. “Justin, Angela and K.J. are fine. Kat saved my ass yet again.”

“Angela? K.J.?” Tommy asked, savoring the feel of his girlfriend in his arms.

“You remember Angela, right? Zack’s Angela.” Tommy blinked in surprise, but nodded. “K.J. is her little sister from the Club, and she also happens to be the new object of Justin’s affections, if you get my drift.” At that, Tommy smiled.

“You sure you’re ok?”

Kim laughed. “Tommy, who are you talking to? Of course I’m fine. I’ve been doing this as long as you have.”

Tommy nodded then looked over Kim’s shoulder as Angela appeared in the doorway. “Long time no see, Tommy,” Angela laughed as the White and Pink Rangers moved toward the door.

“Angela,” Tommy greeted, pecking a kiss to her cheek.

“Jason’s been home for ten minutes. Rocky, Aisha, Tanya and Adam will be here in an hour. Billy, Trini, Zack and Katherine will be here as soon as they get off work.” Tommy nodded to Kim as they followed Angela back into the house.

Jason laughed out loud at Tommy as the trio entered the den where K.J. was watching Jason beat Justin on the Nintendo 64 the guys had hooked up. “What’s so funny, Bro?” Tommy asked.

“Your woman knows you too well. You’ve got that ‘worried about your pink princess’ look on your face. I take it Billy called you at school?”

Tommy shot Jason a withering glare. “Shut up.”

Jason and Justin merely laughed. Katie Jane looked confused while Angela and Kim giggled at the look on Tommy’s face. “I need new friends,” Tommy muttered as he collapsed onto the green lazy boy in the corner. Kim sat on the floor in front of him while Angela took a seat on the couch with Katie.

“Alright!” Justin chirped when he finally beat Jason.

“So not fair!” Justin could only help but laugh at the disgruntled Jason.

Tommy was about to make a smart ass comment when the phone ran. Leaning over, he grabbed the living room cordless off the coffee table next to him. “Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me.”

“Zack-man, what can I do for you?” Tommy asked, watching Angela’s attention suddenly shift to him.

“Kat and I already called the others. We’re doing pizzas for dinner. We’ve got pepperoni, one with everything, a cheese, a veggie, a chicken and a meat lover. Do we need anything else? Adam said he and Tanya would stop and get pop, paper plates, napkins, and silverware. Anything else we need?”

Tommy smiled. “Bread sticks, salad fixings, and some ice cream would be nice. Are we getting made or make it yourself?”

“Make it yourself. Kat and Aisha have taken it into their heads to learn Rocky’s pizza secrets.”

Tommy couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’ll get the kitchen ready,” Tommy spoke. “See you when you get here.”

“Pizza night?” Justin asked with anticipation.

“The DeSantos special,” Tommy told him, watching Justin laugh.

~*~

6:30 P.M.

Kim, Katie, and Angela were sprawled out in the den watching Sarah Michelle Gellar in Simply Irresistible on DVD. Occasionally, they’d sigh then comment on what was going on in the movie. “What are you doing?”

The three girls sprawled in the room turned toward the door. “Took you long enough, Tri!” Kim called out. “Trini, this is Katie Jane, and you know Angela.”

Trini nodded. “Tanya, Kat and Sha are in the kitchen with our sexy Latino,” Trini laughed.

Kim giggled. “It’s been a while since Rocky made the DeSantos special.” Trini nodded.

“Justin hasn’t sat still since he found out.”

Trini smiled as Angela and Katie laughed. “He adores Rocko.”

Suddenly, Jason yelling for them startled them. The four girls jumped up and ran into the other room. “Jase, what’s wrong?” Kim questioned. The four girls stared on in shock at the young man with jet black hair and a black and gold jumpsuit.

“Kim, Trini, Angela, Katie allow me to introduce Trey,” Jason spoke.

Kim and Trini gaped at him. ‘Prince Trey!’ Kim communicated to Trini who nodded slightly, indicating she had heard Kim.

“Trey, this is Kimberly Hart, Trini Kwan, Angela Dupree, and Katie Jane Anderson.” Trey smiled at the four girls. Jason had informed him that two non-Rangers were in the house. By the color of the clothing the girls wore, he’d guessed who the two female Rangers were.

“Well this is a pleasant surprise,” Trini murmured.

“Yes. I came to assist some other friends and decided to see Jason and the others while I was at it. Kimberly, may I speak with you?”

Kimberly looked surprised but nodded none the less. She moved with Trey to go out on the front porch. “What’s wrong?” Kim asked softly.

“I’ve already spoken with Jason, but I wanted to warn you first hand,” Trey started as they stood facing one another. “There have been some rumblings the past couple of weeks about Lord Zedd and Ivan Ooze.”

Kimberly simply stared at him, not sure what to make of his words. “A few of my spies have said that the Empire, particularly Zedd and Ooze, are making plans for you. They know in order to take out the Morphin’ Rangers, the best way is to start by weakening the strongest link.”

“Tommy,” Kim murmured when Trey nodded.

“You are his greatest strength, and greatest weakness.”

Kim was silent as she reached out to Tommy’s mind. She probed carefully, but not so hard that Tommy would feel. What she got in response surprised her. “You haven’t told him yet.”

Trey nodded. “Jason wanted to do that.”

Kim shot Trey a look. The Triforian Prince obviously knew about the White Ranger’s temper, especially when it came to things threatening those he loved. “Thank you for warning me.”

Trey smiled. “Its nice to finally meet the rest of the group Zordon hand picked and spoke so highly of.”

Kim laughed then turned toward the door just as Tommy stepped through. “Baby, come join us,” Kim called to Tommy, who sat down next to her, sandwiching her between him and Trey. Lovingly, Tommy wrapped an arm around her shoulders, causing Kim to instantly feel the emotions coursing through him. “Tommy?”

The look in his eyes told Kim and Trey that Jason had told him. Tommy smiled then leaned over and kissed Kim’s temple, hoping to ease the anxiety in her that he knew she was feeling because she’d felt it from him. “I’ll leave you two be,” Trey replied then moved to go back in the house.

Kim slipped her arm around Tommy’s waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Are you?” Kim shrugged at his question. She wasn’t too happy about Zedd or Ivan being after her, but it wasn’t a new concept for her to grasp. The bad guys had found her such a nice target so many times in the past. “Kim?”

“Hmm?”

“You okay?”

Kimberly sighed. “Yes and no. This isn’t new for me, but I don’t enjoy knowing Zedd, Ivan or any of their goons are after me.”

Tommy sighed in response. “He isn’t going to get his hands on you, I promise.”

The Pink Ranger smiled at him then let the smile fade. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she told him softly, watching him flinch.

Tommy looked stricken. “You think I’m incapable of protecting you?” It hurt to think she doubted him, but it was substantially worse to hear it from his own mouth; to acknowledge it himself.

“Tommy, I don’t doubt you at all,” Kimberly told him honestly. “But I also don’t underestimate the goon patrol. You’ve always been my White Knight, Baby, but I’m a Power Ranger, just like you; you can’t protect me from everything.”

Tommy felt his stomach churn. She could be hurt, or worse, killed, because of the power she has in her possession. “Just like any of you,” Kim murmured to him, not needing her powers to tell her what he was thinking. “Just be glad Trey gave us a heads up.”

~*~

7:10 P.M.

Rocky sat on the kitchen counter watching Aisha finish making up the last pizza. He could see the tension in her shoulders, knew it was because of Trey’s intelligence report and the new problems that presented.

“We’re not going to let them get their grubby paws on her, Sha,” Rocky suddenly spoke, watching as Aisha’s movements stilled. Rocky could feel the sadness and underlying fear in her emotions.

“They already touched her once, Rocky. We’re just as powerless now as we were then to stop it,” Aisha told him, turning to face him. What Rocky saw on her face broke his heart. His fierce and fearless Aisha had tears streaming down her face and the look in her beautiful dark as midnight eyes said everything of how she was feeling. It was odd, he thought, that he hadn’t realized the significance of a skill he’d had for years – silent communication with her where he understood everything she was telling him. It was only now that they were in love, that he realized how long she’d held his heart.

“No, we’re not. There’s twice as many of us now, and we’re older and better equipped to deal with this. We know what’s at stake if we fail,” Rocky whispered. He hopped off the counter and pulled Aisha into his arms. “You think Tommy’s going to let it happen a second time?”

“He couldn’t stop it the first time!” Aisha roared. “Besides, they could do that to any of us, and with so many of them around, that thought scares me!”

Rocky knew Aisha’s fear was shared by the whole team, could feel it like he could feel Aisha’s body close to his. “It’s going to be okay, Sha, you’ll see,” Rocky murmured as their lips met in a comforting kiss.

~*~

Trini’s body moved fluidly through the kata. Years of discipline in her chose art had toned and molded her body. Billy appreciated the sight. “Are you going to continue to stare or are you going to join me?” Trini queried her boyfriend. She and Billy were still on pretty rocky ground, though they’d been getting more and more serious as the weeks went by.

Billy blushed and moved off the back porch to join her in the yard. “Do I know this one?”

“Yes, but I’ve made a few improvements.” The Original Blue and Yellow Rangers, now the Blue and Turquoise Rangers, paced themselves as they moved through the familiar routine, with Billy paying close attention to the modifications Trini had made to it. Billy noticed how much calmer Trini seemed as opposed to twenty minutes prior when Jason and Trey had told the team what Trey had discovered.

“They won’t touch her again, we won’t let it happen,” Billy finally whispered.

Trini nodded. “They’ve been trying to come between Tommy and Kim for years; the forces of evil are finally going to learn just how skilled Zordon’s child warriors are.”

Billy laughed at Trini’s comment. “Trini, it’s going to be ok.”

“I know.”

~*~

It had been a while since Tanya had seen her husband agitated, so it surprised her when she found him in the Blue, White and Green Rangers’ gym, lifting weights like there was no tomorrow.

Adam had never really talked about what had happened all those years ago with Kim. In fact, Rocky, Aisha, Billy and Tommy hadn’t ever said anything either. Tanya only knew what had happened thanks to Kat and Alpha 5. “Adam.”

Tanya got a grunt in reply, which made her raise and eyebrow.

“Adam Christopher Park,” Tanya scolded. She watched him all but toss the bar of weights into its resting place before sitting up and looking at her. What Tanya saw in those dark almond colored eyes broke her heart. Adam’s eyes were haunted and full of tears. “Baby, it’s going to be ok,” Tanya whispered, sitting down on the bench next to him.

“We let her down last time Tanya, and Zedd almost killed her.”

“We won’t let it happen again.”

“None of you could possibly understand what the six of us went through,” Adam huffed at her. Tanya glared at him. “The five of us felt everything that happened to her. Our ninja powers were linked on the most intimate of levels. We felt her dying, felt her fear and her thoughts like they were our own, and after Zordon broke Kim’s connection to her powers, we felt the loss as if part of each of us had died. It was such a gaping hole, not even Kat could fill it.”

Tanya nodded in understanding. Kat had told her the same thing, but in a different way. When Kat had tried to use the Ninja Crane powers, there’d always been an underlying sense of loss from not only the powers themselves but from the other members of the team. It was one of the reasons the blonde had been only too happy to take on the Zeo Pink mantle.

“Adam,” Tanya whispered, moving to sit in his lap.

“She’s my spirit sister, and I couldn’t protect her. I don’t want to fail her, or any of you guys, like that ever again.”

Tanya smiled. “We won’t, you won’t.”

~*~

Kat stood in the doorway of Jason’s room, watching him stare at a picture of the original five Rangers that rested on the fireplace mantle. The picture looked like it had been taken before they’d ever received their powers. “Can I come in?” she asked softly. Jason nodded but continued to stare at the picture. “Jason, are you going to be alright?”

“I don’t know,” Jason whispered, his voice pained.

“She’s going to be ok. She’s a fighter, a warrior, and she’s Zordon’s Original Pink Ranger. Take it from someone who’s held her position, we Pink Rangers may look fragile but we’re stronger than anyone thinks.”

Jason looked over his shoulder at her, tears in his eyes refusing to fall. “She’s my baby sister, Kat; I know she’s tough, but I worry about her.”

Kat smiled. “I’d be worried about you if you weren’t.”

“While I wasn’t here when it happened the first time, I was there for the aftermath, when she was trying to pick up the pieces. I refuse to watch her go through that again.”

Katherine sighed. “Jason, nothing’s happened yet, don’t invite trouble. Besides, you didn’t see Tommy the last time. He’ll do whatever it takes, come hell or high waters, to shield her from harm.”

Jason could only nod, before he abruptly turned, reaching out and pulling Kat into his arms. “I love you.”

Kat’s smile turned megawatt at that. It was the first time he’d said the words to her. “I love you too.”

~*~

Angela sat on the couch in the den, watching Zack pace then stare out the window. “Zack, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” the Gold Ranger told her. There were days when he truly wished he had a significant other to confide in, but lately Sam’s words had come to haunt him. ‘The soaring Eagle shall be followed by the beaming Hawk… the Eagle shall pair with a Fox…’

“Ranger business?” Zack whirled around and stared at Angela’s calm face.

“How?”

“Since high school, I had hoped you’d trust me enough to confide in me, but you never did. Both Justin and Kim know I know. I promised not to tell a soul.” Zack sat down next to her in numbed shock. Was that the reason they’d never progressed? She’d been upset he hadn’t revealed his secret to her? “Zack, what is it?”

“Our new enemy is a group of our old enemies, and some of them are gunning for our favorite Pink Ranger.” Angela blinked. Someone was going after Kimberly?

“Why? Kim’s a sweet, intelligent but harmless girl,” Angela started, causing Zack to laugh so hard he feel off the couch. “What’s so funny?”

“Kim’s sweet and intelligent, I’ll give you that,” Zack cracked. “Harmless isn’t a word I’d use to describe Kimberly. She’s one of the deadliest Rangers.”

“What?”

“Kim’s fast and agile; she’s the best pilot of the girls and the second best pilot of all of us. She’s also the team’s master marksmen, having spent three years with a bow and arrow and a blade blaster. She’s beat up more of Zedd, Rita and Ivan’s goons then anyone but Billy and Tommy. Harmless Kimberly ain’t.”

Angela gapped. She couldn’t imagine Kimberly the way Zack was describing the pink loving girl. “No way.”

“Yes way,” another voice laughed as Justin and Katie Jane walked into the den. “Stop giving me that look, Zack, K.J. figured it out on her own.”

Zack mumbled something about secret identities, but was cut off by Katie asking, “Is Kimberly going to be ok?”

“We’re gonna make sure she’s ok,” Zack and Justin answered in unison.

~*~

8:00 P.M.

Everyone was pretty silent as they dug into the pizzas. Trey had long since left for the Command Base, leaving Angela and Katie with the Rangers. “Guys, come on, let’s not let this get us down. Nothing’s happened yet,” Kat started, hoping to lighten everyone’s mood. Zack had long since directed Angela and Katie to let the team know they knew their secret, and Tommy had bound them to secrecy, so now the only reason for their silence was that they were dealing with Trey’s news.

“Kat’s right,” Kim’s voice startled everyone. “I’m not the same ditzy teenager I was six years ago. There is no way in hell I’ll be careless enough to leave myself open the way I did the last time.”

“We know that, Kim,” Rocky murmured.

“We just worry about you,” Jason butted in.

“Dammit Jason!” Angela and K.J. witnessed their first angry Ranger moment as Kim slammed her glass down on the coffee table next to her. “I’m not a weak, helpless female! I’m capable of taking care of myself, let alone getting the goon squad off my back! I do not need you to protect me!”

The gang watched Kim storm out of the room. “So, who wants to go after her?” Zack asked.

“I will.” Justin got up from his spot next to K.J. and headed in the direction Kim had gone in, which was toward the stairs.

~*~

Justin found Kimberly curled into a ball on Tommy’s bed, a green stuffed animal clutched in her arms. “Who’s your friend?” he asked, gesturing to the toy.

“His name is Draco,” Kim whispered. Justin raised an eyebrow. “I bought him for Tommy shortly after he originally joined the team as the Green Ranger. Jason has a red T-Rex named Red, Trini has a yellow saber-toothed tiger named Smiley, Billy has a blue Triceratops named Horns, Zack has a black Mastodon named Tusks, and I have a pink Pterodactyl named Terror.”

Justin smiled. Now he knew why Tommy had stuffed animals or models of each Zord he’d had, and why Tommy had given him a blue Mountaineer model car – Kim had started it many years ago.

“Kim, you know the others didn’t mean to insult you, right? We’re all worried about you.”

“I know, but ever since they learned the truth about my life in Florida, they’ve treated me like I’m a helpless victim. I’m every bit as capable as they are at facing the Empire of Evil. In fact, I was one of the first to do so, but they always seem to forget that.”

“I know it’s hard,” Justin sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at the woman who reminded him of his much beloved and sorely missed mother. “But you’ve got to remember, you’re the one who’s linked the entire team together, you and Tommy. We’re all worried about you. You’re the one who’s always giving us pep talks; you’re the one who’s always making a bad situation into a good one. You’re not only Tommy’s greatest strength and weakness; you’re the heart of our team.”

Kim looked at the sixteen year old sitting before her and watched the years melt away for a second, so that she was staring at the eleven year old who had first joined their family. He’d grown so much in five years. “You’ve been spending too much time with Billy and Trini,” Kim laughed, watching Justin crack up as well.

“Better than spending too much time with Rocky or Zack, isn’t it?” Kim nodded. Both Rangers turned to look at the door when Tommy appeared.

“Angela’s taking Katie home. Would you like to go down and say goodbye?”

Kim smiled and nudged Justin. “Tell Angela I’ll call her later, and tell K.J. I said goodbye.” Justin grinned then bolted from the room.

Tommy wandered into his room, seeing Kim cuddled with Draco, and felt a wave of memories swamp him. He vividly remembered the morning after the first time they’d made love. He’d woken with her in his arms and had noticed Draco tucked securely in her embrace. “You’re blushing,” Kim cracked. Tommy smiled and moved to cradle her in his arms as he stretched out next to her.

“Guess what I was thinking about?”

Kim laughed quietly. “I don’t have to, I can read your mind, remember?”

“No fair!” Tommy whined in protest before he pouted. Kim scooted against him, sighing as his arms tightened around her waist and she felt his face bury in her hair.

“Tommy, are you mad that I’m not ready for that again?”

“No. I understand. I’m only so thankful you’re first time was special instead of horrifying.”

Kim sighed. “My first time was the best time.” Tommy chuckled at that. He still had the faint scars on his back to prove how well her first time had gone. Kim had drawn blood when her nails had scratched down his back as her body had bowed and seized up with her first climax. Tommy smiled fondly, remembering the look of wonder and love on her face that first time. “Funny, Oliver, very funny,” Kim chided, her mind connecting with his.

“I remember how tight you were, how it felt that first time,” Tommy whispered in her ear. “No one has ever made me feel like that before, or since.”

Kim grinned as she began falling asleep. Tommy didn’t know how that made her feel – other than what had happened with Mike, Tommy was the only man she’d been with, ever. “Oh Kim!” Tommy gasped when he heard her thoughts. He held her a little tighter as they both drifted off.

~*~

Time Unknown  
Ivan’s Ship  
Earth Orbit

“My Lord?” Scorpina asked as she and Ivan walked along the corridors of the ship.

“We’re heading to Divatox’s quarters. She’s going to be working with you on my plan.”

“What is the plan?”

“The two of you are going to administer a germ to the male Rangers, which will slowly kill them. However, any male who comes in contact with it will be rendered unconscious before dying, which is why I chose you instead of Rygog or Porto for this.”

Scorpina nodded in understanding. “I will not fail you.”

Ivan glared. “You had better not.”

~*~

10:45 A.M.  
Friday  
August 30, 2002  
Hart and Campbell Design Associates  
1212 Fort St.  
Angel Grove, CA

Angela walked into the tiny office on Fort Street in downtown Angel Grove and smiled. Kimberly and Aisha had made the atmosphere welcoming and comfortable. There were pictures of the two of them and the others everywhere, as well as examples of Kim’s work – pictures from Trini, Zack and Kat’s house, Billy, Tommy and Jason’s house, and the two girls’ apartment. The office spoke well of Kimberly’s design talents.

“Can I help you?” the woman behind the front desk asked after hanging up the phone.

“Are Kim or Aisha here?”

“Ms. Hart is next door at the gym and Ms. Campbell is in a meeting with clients. May I take a message?”

“That’s ok, I’ll go over and talk to Kim,” Angela smiled and headed to Kim’s Gym – Little Crane Gymnastics Academy.

“Can I help you?” one of the assistant coaches asked.

“Can I speak with Kimberly?”

“Sure, she’s over by the balance beams.” Angela turned her eyes to where four beams were set into the floor inside a pit of foam balls.

“Kim!”

Kimberly turned and smiled. “Hey Angela.”

“Kim, can we talk?” Angela quietly queried as Kim hopped out of the pit and stood up.

“What’s up?” Kim asked as the pair made their way into Kim’s back office.

Angela lowered her voice, even though they were alone. “Someone’s been following Justin, Zack, Katie and me all morning,” Angela told her. Kim’s attention was focused solely on her friend. “Zack seemed very agitated by it. I caught him talking to Justin about someone named Scorpina?” Kim nodded. “I thought I’d let you know. Katie and I dropped them off at the park with the other guys, but Zack didn’t tell me too much; you know how he can be about stuff.”

“Thanks for the heads up.”

Angela smiled. “Let me know if something else happens, ok?”

“We will.”

~*~

11:30 A.M.  
Angel Grove Park

“Tommy! I’m open!” Rocky called out as Tommy stepped back and launched the football in his hands over the heads of his friends.

The seven Ranger men were gathered in the park for a little male bonding as all of the girls were either at work or with their families. Jason, Rocky, Adam, Zack, Tommy and Justin were playing football while Billy had chosen to man the grill and make sure their lunch didn’t go up in smoke.

“Touch down!” Justin laughed as Rocky tripped over his own feet and tumbled into the end zone, which the guys had marked with two orange cones. There was a similar one on the other side of their makeshift field.

“Rocky, how you managed to become one of Southern California’s best martial artists being that clumsy is beyond me,” Zack teased.

“Well, Z-man, not all of us have your agility and grace!” Rocky shot back, standing up and dusting the grass off his butt. Jason and Tommy snickered while Adam and Justin shook their heads.

“Guys! Lunch!” Billy called out. The six abandoned their game and hurried over to the picnic tables.

“You know, it doesn’t seem the same without the girls here,” Justin commented in between bites of his hotdog.

The others merely laughed. “Come on, Justin, we need a break from the girls. I’m not saying I dislike spending time with them, but they can get bossy and pushy,” Jason commented, grinning ruefully.

Laughter among the others was contagious as the group turned to look at their Green Ranger. “Gotta love that power-elevated PMS!” Zack quipped. “I know Trini and Kim weren’t bad in junior high but man, after they got their powers it was scary!” Billy and Jason merely nodded, solemn expressions on their faces.

“Aisha was the same way!” Rocky laughed.

“Tanya’s not too bad, and neither is Kat, but we never got a real preview of those two before they got their powers,” Adam added quietly. “Though I have to say, Tanya was pretty good during those years after the Turbo powers.”

“Huh?”

Tommy chuckled at Justin. “We really hadn’t known Tanya or Kat more than a few days when they each received their powers. I’ll tell you what though, Kim’s worse now, without her powers, then with.”

Billy shook his head. “The girls are accustomed to the Morphin’ Powers or at least Trini, Kim and Aisha are. Kat’s adjusting quicker because of her brief stint at the beginning of her Ranger career in the Morphin’ uniform, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some changes in Tanya.”

Adam groaned at that. “There’s also something else to consider.”

The group looked to Adam in question. “Ninjetti powers. Only Kim and Sha are really use to theirs. Kat didn’t have control of the Pink Crane powers long enough and Trini and Tanya have never had them.”

No one else could respond as a platoon of piranhatrons appeared on the scene with Scorpina. “Aw nuts, can’t we get through one day without them ruining it?” Justin complained.

“Just the Rangers I wanted to see,” Scorpina laughed when the seven men took fighting stances in front of her.

A battle quickly ensued, with the guys being lured away from the table by the piranhatrons. Scorpina masterfully avoided having to fight any of the male Rangers, making her way to their food. Once there, she took out a pouch and poured the contents into her hand. “Night, night, sleep tight Rangers.” With that said, Scorpina blew the dust over the food then hurried away.

“RETREAT!” Scorpina commanded as the piranhatrons disappeared alongside her.

“You know, these show up and retreat tactics are starting to bug the hell out of me,” Tommy grumbled.

“At least they didn’t mess with lunch!” Rocky pointed out. The Red Ranger got six eye rolls in response.

~*~

1:45 P.M.  
Command Chamber

“Man, I feel like death warmed over,” Justin groaned. He was leaning against one of the computer consoles, looking pale and sweaty.

“JUSTIN!” Alpha 6 screeched when the Beige Ranger collapsed to the floor. Turning, the android found that Zack, Billy and Adam were down as well. “Alpha 5, come in please.”

“Ay yi yi! Teleport them to the infirmary; I have Jason, Rocky, and Tommy already here.” Alpha 6 did as told, teleporting the four unconscious Rangers to Alpha 5’s location.

“Yo! 5, Should I contact the girls?”

“Ay yi yi! Let me see if I can find out what’s wrong first, then we’ll make them aware of the situation.”

“You got it.”

~*~

Same Time  
Papa Pizza’s Pizza Parlor

“Yum!” Kim sighed happily, sinking into the booth with Trini, Aisha, Kat and Tanya. “I’m starving.”

“Are you ok? You’ve been extra hungry the last couple of days?” Kat questioned curiously.

“You try chasing sixteen three year olds for four hours and we’ll talk.”

Kat’s laughter floated up at that. “Now you know why I don’t teach beginners anymore.”

The girls ordered their drinks and lunch, dinning and talking without a hitch, until they got ready to leave. While Trini was taking care of the bill, Tanya’s communicator went off. “This is Tanya, go ahead,” Tanya spoke quietly as the four hid in a corner.

“Report to base immediately.”

Once Trini was with them, the Ranger woman left for their home away from home, their bodies disappearing in streaks of colored light.

~*~

2:00 P.M.  
Level 3 – Infirmary  
Command Base

When the girls arrived, they were shocked to find themselves in the infirmary, surrounded by seven cots. “What happened?” Aisha demanded, sinking down next to Rocky’s cot and touching his forehead.

“Scorpina has infected them with a germ that slowly kills any male, of any species, that it comes in contact with. Divatox must have come up with it, because she’s the only one of them fairly talented with chemicals not found on Earth,” Alpha 5 spoke in rapid fire words.

“Is there a cure?” Kim asked, her heart in her throat as she leaned down between Justin and Tommy, taking a hand from each of them into her own.

“Yes, but I’ll need several chemicals that we don’t have housed here on location, including a vial of water from the fresh water spring in the mountains.”

“The one we tried to use to help Billy?” Tanya asked softly, Alpha 5 nodding in confirmation. The girls swallowed hard, looking to each other as they digested the news and information before them before turning to Tanya. “Well, how many places do we need to go to get the chemicals?”

“There are five, including the mountain spring.”

“Let’s split up. Alpha, give each of us part of the list,” Kim commanded, not waiting for a decision to be made. “I’ll go up to the spring and get the water.”

Each woman took a list which held between two and four chemicals on them. “Meet back here in an hour, and call if you need help!” Tanya told them, nodding as they got into position. “IT’S MORPHIN’ TIME!”

“PINK RANGER POWER!”

“YELLOW RANGER POWER!”

“TURQUOISE RANGER POWER!”

“ORANGE RANGER POWER!”

“PURPLE RANGER POWER!”

Alpha 6, who was stationed in the Command Chamber still, teleported the five to their respective locations, his fingers crossed in hopes that they succeeded.

~*~

Same Time  
Ivan’s Ship  
Earth Orbit

“My lord,” Scorpina spoke, entering the bridge where Divatox was gloating about her part in destroying the male Rangers.

“What?”

“That goody-two-shoes robot of Zordon’s has equipped the female Rangers with lists of chemicals to create an antidote for their male teammates. They’ve gone out to retrieve them.”

“How many have arrived back at the Command Center?” Ivan roared, turning to stare at Scorpina.

“All but the Pink Ranger.”

Ivan threw his hands up and let purple lighting blast from them. “BLAST THAT MISERABLE LITTLE WENCH!” Ivan raged as his arms came back down. “Send Elgar; tell him to dispose of that brat any way he sees fit! She’s caused me enough problems to last me a lifetime!”

Scorpina nodded, bowed, and then fled the room.

~*~

2:45 P.M.  
Level 3 – Infirmary  
Command Base

Forty five minutes after Alpha 5 sent them on their mission, four of the five female Rangers returned, precious cargo in hand. “Where’s Kim?” Trini asked.

“She’s in trouble. Elgar arrived at the spring and has taken the vial of water,” Alpha 6 informed them.

“Then we’re gonna go lend her a hand,” Tanya told him, the others nodding. “BACK TO ACTION!”

~*~

Same Time  
Angel Grove Park

The Pink Ranger stifled a scream when she was thrown into the spring, her suit weighing her down as it soaked through from the water. Panic was just starting to set in when Kim felt herself being pulled from the water. Looking up, Kat and Aisha had their arms wrapped around her.

“Kim?”

“Sha! Kat!” the Pink Ranger choked out. “He’s got the vial!”

“We know. Are you ok or do we need to have Alpha teleport you to the base?”

“Oh no, I’m perfectly capable of finishing this fight, especially since he tossed me into the spring!” The three women then launched themselves into the battle raging between Elgar and the Turquoise and Purple Rangers.

“Hand over that vial, Elgar!” Trini demanded as Divatox’s nephew taunted the Rangers.

“Never, Blue Girl!” Elgar shot back.

“Never is an awfully long time,” Aisha growled. “YELLOW BEAR...SAIS OF STRENGTH!” Aisha’s Sais began to glow an unearthly yellow and suddenly melded with her hands, transforming her arms into those of a bear’s, which she then used to grab Elgar by the throat, lifting him off the ground. “Excuse me, but I believe you have something I want.”

“NEVER!” Elgar choked out, squirming for all he was worth to get away from the angry Yellow Ranger.

“Wrong answer!” Kat hissed, before Aisha tightened her grip and Elgar squirmed some more.

“TURQUOISE GAZELLE GLAIVE STRIKE!” Trini swung her glaive around her body in a circle, pointed it at Elgar, and used it to channel her power into him, suddenly realizing that she had connected her mind with his. ‘I have the power of Mind Control!’ she thought hazily. “You will give us that vial!” Trini demanded, straining to control Elgar’s body against his will.

Kim managed to pry the vial from Elgar’s hand before jumping back out of the way. “Alpha 6, I have the vial, teleport it to the infirmary!”

In a flash of white light, the vial disappeared. “Alright ladies, let’s finish this!” Tanya commanded as Elgar broke free of Aisha’s grip and shook off Trini’s mind control, suddenly growing in size.

“We need Ninja Zord Power!”

“NINJA CRANE ZORD!”

“NINJA BEAR ZORD!”

“NINJA GAZELLE ZORD!”

“NINJA TIGER ZORD!”

“NINJA PANTHER ZORD!”

“Ladies, I’ve reconfigured your Zords to form their own Ninja MegaZord,” Alpha 6 informed them, his voice nearly a tinkling laughter.

“Awesome!” Aisha giggled.

“How do we do this?” Tanya asked.

“You don’t have to do anything. Once you call the MegaZord sequence, the Zords will do the rest on their own.”

“NINJA MEGAZORD POWER NOW!”

Aisha’s Bear Zord folded up like it normally would for Team 1’s MegaZord sequence, though this time the back legs folded down, forming the torso and legs. Tanya’s Panther and Kat’s Tiger Zords folded up and formed the arms, locking onto either side of Aisha’s Bear. Kim’s Crane performed its usual task of becoming the head of the giant robot. Trini’s Gazelle folded up on itself, with the head section detaching. The body of the Gazelle became a cannon and the head a shield for the girls to use.

“If you have to, your personal weapons can be used by this MegaZord,” Alpha 6’s voice floated across the communications channel.

“My sais wouldn’t work,” Aisha commented, the others realizing the small weapons would let Elgar get a little too close to them for comfort.

“Yes they would, especially as arrows for my or Kat’s bows,” Kim remarked as the five females met up in the head section of the MegaZord.

“Kim’s got a point. For now, let’s see how our Gazelle Cannon works,” Tanya laughed.

Meanwhile, Elgar watched on in fascination and disgust. “Damn women!”

The battle between them raged on for nearly fifteen more minutes before Elgar knocked the girls’ MegaZord to the ground. “Alright! I’ve had just about enough!” Kimberly hissed, her fingers flying over the console in front of her. “Trini, would you do the honors?”

“NINJA GAZELLE ZORD...CANNON MODE!” With the extra boost of power provided by Trini summoning the cannon, the girls managed to get their zord onto its feet, the cannon coming to rest in its hands.

“I’ve got an idea!” Trini told the others. “Lock and load Aisha’s Sais in the cannon.”

“Like a gun?” Kat asked, clearly confused by what Trini was trying to accomplish.

Tanya and Kim grinned while Aisha laughed. “No, more like a missile launcher.”

The Sais magically appeared and were loaded into the cannon. “THREE, TWO, ONE...FIRE!”

Elgar grinned stupidly then screamed like a baby as the energy laced Sais tore through his body. “Whoa! That’s nasty!” Aisha grimaced.

“No kidding,” Tanya complained, her face scrunching up under her helmet at the disgusting sight before her.

“Curse you females!” Elgar screamed before his body burst into white light and disintegrated.

“Let’s head back, Alpha should have the antidote ready to be administered to the guys,” Trini commented. The five women disappeared from the cockpit as the zords headed back to their holding bays.

~*~

4:50 P.M.  
Level 3 – Infirmary

“Oh my head!” Zack groaned.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Tanya greeted him as she helped him sit up.

“Did anyone get the license plate number of the truck that hit me?” Rocky complained while Aisha helped him sit up. Justin, Adam, and Billy were already awake and sitting up, each with a cup of soup that Aisha and Kat had fixed in their hands, which they occasionally took a sip from.

“Only Jason and Tommy are still out,” Trini told Kim when the Pink Ranger entered, her face showing her eagerness to see her boyfriend.

“Figures.” Kim moved to sit between Tommy and Jason’s cots. The boys had all been placed in one of the infirmary rooms after Alpha 5 had administered the antidote, that way they were able to rest comfortably without the androids disturbing them, and so that they could all still be hooked up to individual computers to be monitored. “Come on Handsome, wake up.”

“Gee, Kim, didn’t know you felt that way. Hate to break it to you, but I have a girlfriend, and what would Tommy say?”

“Jason! You ass!” Kim screeched in surprise before she leaned over and slapped his arm even as Kat attempted to help him sit up.

“OW!” Jason roared back, rubbing his arm where she’d hit him.

“Serves you right, you big baby,” Kat laughed, shaking her head at the ‘siblings’.

“Bro, stop yelling,” Tommy moaned, scaring the others.

Kimberly yelped in surprise, spinning in her chair before throwing herself into his arms. “Tommy!”

“Easy does it Beautiful,” Tommy whispered, wrapping his arms around her. “What happened?”

Alpha 5 approached with a scanner and began to explain. “Ivan had Divatox create a space germ which Scorpina administered to you, which rendered you unconscious and was slowly killing you. The girls successfully recovered the components Alpha 6 and I needed to create a cure for you.”

[I’m alright, Beautiful] Tommy thought as he drifted back to sleep after Alpha’s explanation. He could still feel Kimberly’s fear for him, but he could also sense that easing as she realized he was fine.

“Let them rest,” Alpha 6 spoke, ushering the girls out of the room while Alpha 5 continued to monitor the seven sleeping guys.

~*~

7:30 P.M.  
Kimberly and Aisha’s Apartment

“Well?” Angela asked. She and Katie had been told earlier in the afternoon about the situation, just after Alpha had given the boys the antidote.

“They’re resting,” Kim told her. “We got the cure to them before it could cause too much damage.”

“Thank God,” Angela whispered.

“Tell us about it.” Angela watched the weary expressions on the girls’ faces. The five Ranger women held up remarkably well under pressure, but now that the danger had passed, they were feeling the effects of the stress they’d been under.

“You guys look like you need some sleep too,” Katie whispered, noticing that Kat and Tanya were already slightly dozing.

“We do, but I don’t think any of us would be able to sleep without the guys,” Trini sighed, her gaze on the face of one of her best friends, who was standing and staring out the window. The pink dressed woman had really taken the lead when the boys had gone down. Trini admitted to herself, however, that while Tanya had remained in charge, even the Purple Ranger had looked to Kim more than once for some leadership; the original Pink Ranger still had the most seniority out of all of the girls, having served for three straight years, followed by her year and a half, and the other three’s year a piece of service to the power.

“Have the guys been moved to their rooms?” Angela asked, remembering Zack had mentioned they each had their own quarters at their base of operations.

“No,” Tanya yawned, pushing herself to wake up. “Alpha 5 wanted to keep them in one room so it would be easier to monitor their vitals. He’ll probably have Alpha 6 move them once they’re clear of the last risks.”

Kat momentarily awoke, her eyes going to Kim. “Kimberly?” the Orange Ranger called from her spot on the couch. Aisha was on one side of her, and Tanya was on the other, both of them instantly interested in Kat’s conversation with Kim.

“Yes?”

“Are you going to sit and rest, or do I have to have Alpha 5 give you something?” Kat half asked half threatened.

Sighing, Kim turned and sat in her and Tommy’s favorite recliner, curling her legs under her. Even as she settled in, Katie covered her with the afghan from the back of the chair, repeating the process with Trini, who was in the chair opposite the Pink Ranger.

Angela followed K.J.’s lead and got a blanket from the hall closet, draping it over the three sleeping Rangers on the couch. “Come on, K.J. They’ll call us in the morning when they’re all up.” The two non-Ranger women moved from their spots and left the apartment.

~*~

11:00 P.M.  
Command Chamber

“Alpha 6?”

“Tommy, what are you doing up? You should be resting with the others,” the android spoke as Tommy entered the Command Chamber.

“Where are the girls? My mind is too groggy to feel them.”

Alpha 6 turned to the computer console before him and entered a few commands. “The girls are at Aisha and Kim’s, sleeping.” Alpha 6 knew Tommy was worried just by the look on the White Ranger’s face and by the fluctuation in the tone of Tommy’s voice.

Tommy nodded. For some reason, he felt Kim needed him. “Scan Kim for me, please.”

The small robot did as asked, his fingers pressing several buttons. “Everything seems fine, except Kimberly appears to be experiencing a nightmare.”

“Teleport me over, please.” Tommy suddenly knew what was nagging him – he could feel the edges of Kim’s nightmare.

“Teleporting now.”

~*~

When Tommy appeared in the girls’ living room, he had to momentarily shake off the nausea that the teleport had caused his still recovering body to feel. Slowly, he crept over to where Kimberly was tossing and turning in the recliner. “Beautiful,” Tommy murmured, crouching down next to her.

“Tommy?” Kim asked, waking up instantly. The dream disappeared the second she heard his voice. Tommy stood up and pulled Kim out of the chair, leading her to her room. Once they were in the sanctuary of Kim’s bedroom, they climbed onto the bed and Tommy pulled her into his arms. Almost immediately, the pair fell right back asleep.

~*~

2:30 A.M.  
Saturday  
August 31, 2002  
Kim and Aisha’s Apartment

“Where’s Kim?” Aisha asked Tanya, yawning and stretching as she sat up and looked over at the only person awake in the room.

“I’ll go look in her room,” Tanya volunteered. Wobbly, the Purple Ranger moved toward Kim’s door, which was straight down the hall from the living room. Carefully, Tanya opened the door. What she found inside warmed her heart and made her smile. Tommy lay on his side, facing Kimberly, who was facing him. Kim’s head was tucked under his chin and their legs were intertwined and their arms were wrapped around one another. They were also both sound asleep.

“Tanya?” Aisha called softly, making her way down the hall.

“Sha, do you have a camera handy?” Aisha nodded enthusiastically when she saw why Tanya had asked for the camera. Scampering off, Aisha went to her room to search for her new digital camera. When she came back, she handed the camera to Tanya, who took half a dozen pictures of the sleeping couple.

“Peeping Toms,” a deep, sleep-filled voice accused. The two women smiled sheepishly as Tommy woke up.

“Sorry, but you two looked too darn cute,” Tanya apologized.

“That’s ok, but I want copies.” The two women laughed and nodded. Before they shut the door and left their friends alone, Tommy called out softly, “Happy Birthday Tanya.”

~*~

2:30 P.M.  
Tuesday  
September 2, 2002  
Angel Grove Lake

Kim stood on the sandy shore of Angel Grove Lake, looking out over the water. The others were not far from her, sitting at the picnic tables, playing flag football, or in Billy’s case, leaning against a tree reading a book while Trini laid her head in his lap and dozed.

Tommy noticed her quietness and wandered over from the picnic table he and Justin had been sitting at. “Hey, you alright?”

Kim turned slightly and nodded. “Other than the Divatox and Scorpina fiasco a few days ago, it’s been pretty quiet. That worries me.”

The White Ranger nodded. “Don’t invite trouble, we could use the break.”

The Pink Ranger laughed and nodded. “I know.”

Tommy pecked a kiss to her temple then went back over to Justin.

~*~

“Rangers, report to the Command Chamber.”

Twelve streaks of light appeared in the main chamber of the base, quickly revealing the Rangers. They’d been in the middle of packing their picnic gear into their cars when Alpha 6 had summoned them.

“Guys, what’s wrong?” Tommy asked suddenly.

“We have an important message from Trey,” Alpha 6 told them. The Triforian Prince had left some time before, having been needed on the other side of the galaxy to help defend his own home world.

The team moved to face the viewing screen. Alpha 6 punched in a command and the Triforian Prince suddenly appeared. “Hello Rangers of Earth. I’m sorry for my sudden departure, but Triforia was under attack, and I needed to meet with my associates. I’m contacting you because I’ve learned something of dire importance since I last saw you. Alpha 5, please upload the file I’ve sent you.”

The android did as asked. When the video appeared on the screen, Trey began. “My spies on Ivan’s ship have learned something about Kimberly’s unpleasant experience in Florida.”

Kim’s head snapped up, her eyes wide as she looked at the video playing. The others ringed around her in support. “Apparently, after Kimberly left the team, her experiences with a being named Michael were the result of Master Vile attempting to damage the team, so that when you were brought back together, you wouldn’t stay together.”

“WHAT?” Jason bellowed.

“Kimberly’s attack, according to the information I’ve received and have passed to you, was only a figment of Kimberly’s imagination, brought on by Master Vile empowering this Michael with power to cast a spell over Kimberly.”

“I don’t understand!” Kim cried out in shock.

“Michael was controlling you, your parents, and any one who had contact with you at the time, thanks to Master Vile’s magic. If you need the proof, have the Alphas run a bio scan on you.”

Billy automatically moved to the computer console and he and Alpha 6 began readying the computer to run the requested scan. Kimberly stood in numbed shock, not allowing Aisha, Trini or Tommy, who were the closest to her physically, to touch her.

“Hold real still Kim,” Billy commanded softly. The scan only took two seconds, but the results had Billy’s heart jumping into his throat. “Oh God.”

Kim nearly lost her composure when Billy neared her. “The computer says that there’s no evidence of physically trauma, let alone a pregnancy. There are, however, residual traces of energy, not unlike that which are wielded by Rita or Rito.”


	8. Chapter 7: Trey's Message - The Truth Is Revealed

Return Of The Great Power  
Book 2: Revelations  
Chapter 7: Trey’s Message – The Truth Is Revealed  
Rated: MA  
By: Pink-Green-White-4ever  
Last Revised: January 28, 2006

AN: I don’t own and am not affiliated with Nike or Qantas Airways in any way. They were just really familiar companies to use for this.

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant. ~~ Martin Luther King ~~

~*~

3:45 P.M.  
Tuesday  
September 2, 2002  
Angel Grove Lake

Tommy frowned when he saw her sitting on the beach, knees to her chest, face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking. After Billy’s report on her bio scan, she’d teleported out of the Command Chamber, leaving him and the others worried sick about her. He’d also spent the better part of an hour searching for her until he’d realized she gone to the lake.

Carefully, the White Ranger made his way over and sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Instantly, Kimberly leaned against him, her face burying against his shoulder.

“Beautiful?”

“I’m ok, I promise,” she sniffled. “It’s just hard thinking that everything that happened was nothing but an illusion brought on by Master Vile’s control over Mike.”

Tommy said nothing, opting to kiss her forehead instead. “We’ll get through this Beautiful, just like we’ve gotten through everything else...together.”

Kim’s body seemed to relax at his words, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “Tommy...”

Leaning down, Tommy brushed his lips against hers; letting his actions speak for him. “Beautiful?”

“I love you,” Kimberly murmured softly as Tommy continued to kiss her.

~*~

5:00 P.M.  
Cranston-Scott-Oliver Residence

Billy, Zack and Jason sat with their feet dangling in the pool. Rocky was busy cooking hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, Justin was playing volleyball with Adam, Tanya and Kat, Aisha was asleep on a lounge chair and Trini was still doing laps in the pool.

“Should we contact them?” Zack asked for the hundredth time.

“We’ve got to let them deal with this together before we jump in.”

“Master Vile went too far this time,” Jason’s voice was harder than either of his boyhood friends had ever heard it. “It’s one thing to attack us out right but to stoop to that level...”

“Jason, forget it! He’s evil! True evil! Zedd, Mondo, Rita, Divatox, they were all small time comic book character villains. Vile and Ooze aren’t playing that game!” Zack told him angrily.

“Zack’s right,” Trini added, swimming up to them. “They’ve changed the rules and all we can do now is adapt to them.”

“Why the long faces?”

All eyes turned to where Tommy and Kim were entering the back yard, dressed in their swimsuits, with Angela and K.J. right behind them.

“KIM!” Aisha screeched, instantly awake at the sound of Kim’s voice and rushing toward her friend. Kim threw her arms around the Yellow Ranger, hugging her tightly.

For the sake of her friends, Kim had decided to work through this latest bit of news on her own, or at least as much as she could with Tommy pestering her about it.

“Angela! K.J.!” Justin laughed, racing over to give the two young ladies hugs.

Angela and Kim shared a look when Justin slipped his arm around K.J.’s shoulder and led her back toward the pool. “I see Zack; I think I’ll go pick on him.”

Aisha and Kim laughed as Angela moved toward the Gold Ranger before they turned to face one another. “You ok?” Aisha asked, her eyes tearing up as she looked into Kim’s soft brown eyes.

The Pink Ranger nodded. “I’m better than I thought I would be.” The Yellow Ranger smiled and nodded as well, knowing Kim wanted to talk about anything but what they’d learned earlier.

“Let’s party!” Zack laughed, causing the others to laugh too. Jason and Billy nodded, and with Angela’s help, pushed Zack into the pool.

~*~

Kim smiled softly when she came out of Tommy’s bathroom and found him sound asleep on his bed. Moving quietly, the Pink Ninja changed out of her bathing suit and into one of Tommy’s old t-shirts before climbing in next to him. Sighing contentedly, she snuggled close to him, resting her head on his shoulder and wrapping an arm around his waist and one of her legs around one of his.

She was just starting to fall asleep when Tommy moved his arm and pulled her closer to him. “Beautiful?”

“Go back to sleep,” Kim murmured, inhaling slowly, savoring his scent.

“I love you, Beautiful.”

“Love you too, Handsome.”

~*~

Jason yawed loudly, lying on his bed, waiting for Kat to finish in the bathroom so they could go to sleep. The Green Ranger found himself drifting off until his lovely girlfriend emerged from his bathroom in peach silk and lace. “Kat?”

Katherine smiled and glided toward him. “Do you like it?” she softly asked, smiling at the goofy expression on his face. Jason slid to the edge of the bed, pulled her to him, and moved his hands up to her hips, holding her in a loving embrace.

“I love it. Where did you get it?”

“Victoria Secrets a couple of days ago when Kim and I went shopping for Tanya’s birthday presents at the mall,” she smiled, leaning down and resting her forehead against his. “Ready for bed?”

“Yeah. How about you?”

“I’m ready,” she smiled, stepping back to let him get up so they could turn down the bed. Jason swallowed hard, wondering if he was imagining things or if her words really did hold a double meaning.

Quickly, they climbed onto Jason’s green and white covered bed, shutting the bedside lamps off before settling down to sleep. Once they were somewhat settled, Jason pulled Kat into his arms and kissed her forehead.

Kat sighed happily, curling her body around Jason’s. Unconsciously, she moved her left hand up and down Jason’s chest in a loving caress. It wasn’t until the Orange Ranger heard the gasp her boyfriend let out did she realize she’d accidentally wrapped her slender hand around him through his boxers.

“Kat, honey,” Jason started delicately, not wanting to embarrass her.

“Sorry.”

Jason winced at the sound of her voice and the quickness that she used in moving away from him.

“Baby,” Jason crooned softly, pulling her back to him.

“Jase, I...” she stuttered in the dark, thankful he couldn’t see the tomato red blush that burned her cheeks.

The Green Ninja swallowed hard and steeled himself for what he was about to do. Quickly, Jason took Kat’s delicate hand and wrapped it around himself. He bit his lip when Kat stiffened and shuddered.

“Jase.”

“It’s ok, I don’t mind,” he told her.

Feeling a bit bolder and more comfortable since Jason voiced his sureness with the situation, Kat allowed her hand to gently caress her boyfriend. She was rewarded with Jason’s deep groan of pleasure.

Because she was paying so much attention to what she was doing to Jason, Kat never felt his hand slide up and close over her breast, his fingers teasing the nipple into hardness.

“JASE!” Kat moaned, arching toward him.

Jason merely smiled at her cry of pleasure. Leaning down, he wrapped his lips around her earlobe and nibbled on it while he continued to caress her pliant mounds through the safety of her nightgown.

“Jason, if you don’t stop teasing, we’re gonna have a problem.”

The Green Ranger laughed quietly, bringing his free hand into play. “Kat...” he sighed softly in her ear, his hands gently massaging her tummy and her breast. Slowly, Jason moved from her stomach to her most private area, his hand stroking her through the silk of her pajamas and her underwear.

“Kat, you’d better tell me to stop,” Jason growled in warning, moving his lips to her neck and sucking hard on her pulse point.

Katherine merely gasped and bucked her hips against Jason’s hand. ‘I haven’t let anyone touch me like this since my last boyfriend,’ she hazily thought, an image of a tall, dark, and handsome ballet dancer from Austria coming to mind. “GOD! Jason! Don’t stop!” she cried out, knowing without a doubt that she wanted this more than anything else.

Jason’s control snapped at Kat’s breathy command. Sliding down her body, Jason moved to pleasure her until she came, his name bursting forth followed by a groan.

The Green Ranger smiled and continued easing her down from her wild ride. “You ok?”

“Hmm,” Kat purred incoherently.

“I take it that was good for you?” Jason chuckled and moved to lie next to her, his hands continuing to softly stroke her body.

“Baby,” Kat whispered, tugging at the band of Jason’s boxers.

Jason merely smiled and softly kissed her. “Hmm?”

Kat grinned. “As much as I’d like to return the favor, I need you, NOW!”

The Green Ninja chuckled again, understanding Kat’s need because it was the same as his own. “Are you sure about this?” he asked seriously, not wanting to go through with this and having her regret it later.

“Positive,” Kat giggled. “Can I tell you something?”

“Shoot.”

“A certain friend of ours may have been my first, but I want you to be my last, my always,” she lovingly told him. Over their link, Jason felt the honesty of her words, which rocked him to the core. While the thought of her and Tommy together made him uncomfortable, he had to admit her last comments pleased him immensely.

“You may not be my first, Katherine, but I want you to be my last, my always, too.”

“Make love to me Jason.”

“Forever.”

For a long time, they rocked together in a rhythm as old as time itself. With their mental link, they found yet another level to their love making that hadn’t ever been present with any of their other partners.

They both felt their hearts burst when they came together, Jason’s deep groan accompanied by Kat’s breathy cries. Satisfied and tired, Jason rolled off Katherine’s slim body, took care of his condom and came back to bed, cuddling Kat’s soft body to his as they fell asleep.

~*~

Trini sat on Billy’s bed, lost in her thoughts. She and Billy had come a long way the past few weeks. When he’d returned from Aquitar they’d barely been able to say two words to one another and now they often shared each other’s beds.

‘When did our relationship change?’ she thought silently, looking around his simply decorated room. Kimberly had helped Billy with the paint, leaving the room white with almost royal blue accents. Billy's bed was done in royal blue comforter and sheets with white accents. ‘It had to have been after he told me about Aquitar.’

Billy stood leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom, arms crossed over his bare chest, watching Trini contemplate something as she sat on his bed. It jolted him slightly, as it always did, to see her in his room in her nightclothes, knowing that she was spending the night. While they had done that as kids during their group sleepovers, it meant so much more and was much more serious now that they were adults. ‘Any regrets?’ Billy silently asked her, watching the smile creep onto her beautiful face when she heard his voice in her head.

“No. I was just trying to figure out when we went from friends to dating.”

The Blue Ranger smiled. “If you mean was it anything like Tommy and Kim, then no. I believe we just unconsciously agreed to start dating after we returned from Phadoes.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“Trini, you still want to be with me, don’t you?”

The Turquoise Ranger blinked in surprise before jumping from the bed and rushing headlong into Billy’s arms. “Why in the world would you ask me something like that?” she questioned, wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him to her.

“I’m just wondering.”

Trini took a step back, her eyes locked with Billy’s. “I love you; have loved you since the third grade. I didn’t realize it wasn’t like how I felt about Jason or Zack until I left and you moved to Aquitar.”

Billy’s face lit with a grin. “I love you, Trini, always and forever.”

Stepping back toward him, Trini wound her arms around his neck again, nudged his head down to hers, and kissed him senseless.

~*~

“You two have done an awesome job in here,” Rocky complimented Aisha when they walked into her and Kim’s apartment.

One of Kimberly’s very first projects after she and Aisha started the design company was to give their apartment a complete makeover. They'd gone for fun yet stylish in the living room, with blacks, browns and whites, while each of their rooms had been done in their own personal style; Aisha's was done in bold reds, yellows, greens, browns, and blacks and ethnic accents and Kimberly's had been done in classical European accents and soft pinks and white.

“Thanks; helps that we have an Interior Designer living here.”

Rocky rolled his eyes. “Sha, let’s hit the sack, I’m pooped.”

Aisha merely smiled and led him down the hall to her bedroom.

~*~

10:00 A.M.  
Wednesday  
September 3, 2002  
AG International Dance Academy and Performing Arts School  
Office of Katherine Hillard

Kat was sitting at her desk in her office, going over her students’ mid-week quiz on dance styles when the phone rang, startling her. “Angel Grove International Dance Academy and School for the Performing Arts, Katherine Hillard speaking, how may I help you?”

There was familiar laughter on the other end of the line, which made Kat smile. “Your mother told me about your new position, but I never expected to hear my niece sounding so professional.”

“Uncle Barry? Are you calling me all the way from home?” Kat gaped as she sat straighter in her seat. Her Uncle Barry was her father’s brother, and he lived in Sydney where he ran a very elegant and exclusive resort.

“Indeed I am, Kitty Kat. Are you busy or do you have a moment for your old, decrepit uncle?”

Kat laughed. “I’m in between classes at the moment. What can I do for my favorite, prank pulling uncle?”

“Well Kitty, I was wondering if you were free the early part of November?”

“I think so, why?”

“And what about your friends? The ones you’re always writing your cousin CeCe about?”

“I’m not sure; our schedules are all kind of crazy. Why?”

“Because, Love, we’ve opened a brand new resort on the outskirts of Sydney and I’d like to extend an invitation to you and your friends to come and participate in the big Martial Arts tournament and exhibition we’re hosting as part of the grand opening celebration. CeCe tells me your friends are all into the Martial Arts, and that you’ve said some of them are the best in the United States.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Room and board and transportation will be taken care of, as Grandda Aidan said if I left you to that on your own, he’d strangle me in my sleep. All you have to worry about is airfare.”

“Oh wow. Let me call the others, see what we can come up with. You know, Uncle Barry, Rocky has his own Martial Arts dojo...”

“And what’s the name of Rocky’s dojo?”

“Red Ninja Martial Arts. Why?”

“Because I believe I’ve already extended an invitation to them. Your friend has some of the best students in Southern California.”

“Oh cool. I’ll call you in a few days to get the information, ok?”

“Of course, Kitty. Tell Mum and Dad I said hi, will ya?”

“I will. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

~*~

3:00 P.M.

“AGPD, how may I direct your call?”

“I’m looking for Jason Scott.”

“Hold for one moment.” Kat rolled her eyes while she waited for whoever answered the phone to either connect her to Jason’s office or to come back. “I’m sorry, Ma’am, Officer Scott is busy with his superiors right now. Can I take a message?”

“Yes. Tell him Katherine called. Could you tell him I need him to call me on my cell phone before he leaves the station, he has the number.”

“Of course.”

“Thanks.”

Kat hung the phone and leaned her chin on her right hand, elbow resting on her desk. “Now what?” she asked herself, and then smiled. She quickly pulled her address book out and flipped to a certain number.

“Hello?” the voice on the other end asked, slightly breathless as if the woman who’d answered had run to the phone.

“Mum, you’ll never guess who called me today.”

~*~ Kwan, Taylor, Hillard Residence  
6:00 P.M.

"So what's Kat's big news?" Rocky asked as the team gathered on the deck at the beach house shared by their Gold, Turquoise and Orange Rangers.

"Why don't you sit down and be quiet so that Kat can tell us?" Aisha shot back, glaring at him from where she sat next to Kim on a lounge chair.

While Rocky scowled at her, the others chuckled and snickered. "She's got a point, Rocky," Trini spoke up. "Ok Kat, spill."

"Well, I got a phone call from my Uncle Barry this afternoon," Kat started from where she sat on Jason's lap in one of the deck chairs.

"From Australia?" Tanya chirped, causing Kat to nod.

"You got it. My uncle owns a lavish resort in Sydney, and apparently they've just opened a new one outside the city. He called to invite the twelve of us to come to Australia and participate in the Martial Arts Competition and Exhibition they're holding for the grand opening."

The others looked awe struck. "Australia?" Justin asked.

Kat nodded. "All of us but you have already been there," Kat grinned. "I mean, I lived there, Jason, Zack and Trini visited during the Peace Conference and I know Tommy, Kim, Rocky, Adam, Aisha, and Billy visited for a week for an exchange program. But that's off the topic. My uncle said my granddad, who owns stock in my uncle’s resorts, has made it clear that transportation and our rooms are to be taken care of by my uncle. All we'd have to do is pay for our plane flights and spending money."

"Kat, did your uncle say anything about mailing me something?" Rocky asked, suddenly remembering the invitation he'd gotten a day or so before to have six of his students participate in the exhibition.

"Actually, yes. He said he'd invited you to send some students to participate. Did you get the letter?"

Rocky nodded. "I thought I was loosing my mind, but obviously I wasn't." Adam and Aisha snickered after Tanya muttered a comment. "What was that, Tanya?"

"I said it's hard to lose your mind when you lost it a long time ago," Tanya saucily replied, making Rocky raise his eyebrow at her, causing the others to laugh.

"My question is how are we going to pay for the trip? Some of us don't exactly make a lot of money," Zack interrupted.

Kimberly seemed to be the first with an idea. "Corporate sponsors," she said softly, catching everyone's attention.

"Explanation?" Jason asked.

"We get corporate sponsors. Obviously, Rocky, Adam, Tommy, and you would be eligible to be considered as members of Rocky's dojo, and so are any of the students Rocky decides to take. I'm thinking we can hit up local companies for financial assistance for those going to represent the Dojo."

Tommy seemed to mull that idea. "What about the rest of you?"

Kim smiled. "Fund-raisers, and I think I know someone who can help."

"I'm sure my dad will be willing to sponsor the Dojo, and help us out a little," Billy interjected.

“So, if we can get the funding, are we all in agreement that we’re going?” Tanya asked. A round of nods followed. “Well, then, Kat, call your uncle and tell him we’re coming if we can get the money rounded up.”

~*~

Time Unknown  
Ivan’s Ship  
Orbiting Earth

“Master, your requested our presence?” Scorpina asked, leading Klank, Rygog, Porto and Elgar onto the bridge.

“Those pesky Rangers are planning a trip to the little orange kitty’s homeland. Begin making preparations to divide and conquer. I don’t want any of them surviving the trip.”

“Of course, Master,” Scorpina responded.

“And Scorpina, take Rita and Divatox with you.”

The golden warrior nodded as the group of five rushed from the bridge and set off to begin making plans while Ivan stood on the bridge, his eyes on Earth.

“You think they can do the job?” a voice hissed.

“No, I know they can’t. I’m letting the Rangers build confidence before I step in and squish them like bugs.”

The second figure seemed to nod. “Smart. Do it yourself to ensure it gets done right.”

“But of course. Zordon’s brats will fail,” Ivan grinned, turning to stare at his companion. “You’d better be careful, or the Rangers may take their revenge on you for what you did to their little pink bitch.”

“Ha! You’ve done just as much as I have, if not more. Besides, they have as much a chance of getting a hold of me as they do defeating you.”

Ivan narrowed his eyes. “We shall see.”

~*~

11:30 A.M.  
Friday  
September 5, 2002  
Krammer Residence  
Stone Canyon, CA

“Mom? Dad?” Justin called, walking into his house with Tommy right behind him. “Anybody home?”

“In here Just!” Christine called from the living room. When the two Rangers entered, they gasped. There were moving boxes everywhere and most of the contents of the living room were missing.

“What’s going on?” Justin asked, a ball of fear forming in his stomach.

“We’re moving,” David told him, smiling as he continued to tape boxes for Christine to mark.

“Moving? We can’t move! How could we move when…”

Christine smiled when Tommy put his hand on Justin’s shoulder. “We’re moving to Angel Grove. Dad got an offer to take over the office there. Since Candy’s going to UCLA next week, and you’ve got your ‘after school’ job, it’s better for us to move.”

“What about school?” Justin inquired. He was happy to be moving closer to his friends and teammates, but he was worried about college as well.

“We’ve taken the liberty of withdrawing you from SCU, and enrolling you at AGU, ok?” David told him.

Justin looked like he was at a loss for words. “I...”

“Justin, we wanted to surprise you, but maybe we should have told you sooner,” Christine started. “We’re sorry, honey. You’ve had a lot of upheavals lately, we should have figured in how that would affect you.”

Justin grinned sheepishly. “I’m not mad, Mom, just surprised. I like knowing I’ll be close to the gang, and going to school with some of them.” Justin shot a grin in Tommy’s direction, the White Ranger returning it.

“Not to mention closer to K.J,” Tommy muttered, causing Justin to elbow him in the stomach.

Christine and David grinned at the display of affection between their son and Tommy. “Justin, you have three days to pack, you’d better get started.”

Justin grinned. “Tommy, catch you later?”

“You bet. I’ll let the others know the good news. Mr. and Mrs. Krammer, if you need help moving, let us know.”

“Thank you, Tommy,” David grinned when Justin showed Tommy to the door.

~*~

1:00 P.M.  
KLAG Radio  
Downtown Angel Grove

“Corporate sponsors?” Aisha asked again, standing with Kim in front of KLAG, the radio station where Tanya worked. “Are you sure you haven’t been smoking something?”

Kim glared at her good naturedly. “Nope. Look, the way Rocky has it worked out, we’ll all be going to represent Red Ninja Martial Arts. We’re going to need some major backing if we’re going to do this, though.”

“How much?”

“I’m guessing at least fifteen thousand for plane tickets.”

Aisha winced. “Ouch.”

“Billy’s dad already said their company would donate about six thousand for air fare and uniforms.”

“And how much did Rocky have?” Aisha asked. Kimberly had been the one to deal with the projected numbers that the team needed for the trip, and Aisha was impressed that the Pink Ranger was taking her informal duties so seriously.

“Rocky had three thousand set aside for uniforms. We’re getting two sets each – a black set and a white set. The kids’ uniforms are all being done with red writing, and I believe Rocky thought it’d be funny to do all of ours in our Ranger colors. I left him to order the uniforms, so expect the unexpected.”

“Oh brother!” Aisha grinned, linking her arm through Kim’s.

“Come on, Aisha, we still have to hit the television stations after this.”

\-- 

4:00 p.m.  
Saturday  
September 6, 2002  
Command Base  
Level 7 – Library and Computer Center

“Well?” Kat called out as she, Trini and Aisha walked off the lift and saw Kimberly hunched over in front of one of the computers, papers strewn everywhere. The three girls, Rocky, Jason, and Billy had been upstairs decorating the dining room for Tanya’s belated birthday surprise party. Originally the team had planned it for a week before, on Tanya’s actual birthday, but Scorpina had set a trap for the guys and they’d been out of commission for the entirety of Tanya’s birthday, which had thrown thoughts of birthdays and parties right out the window.

With much sneaky planning, Tommy, Adam, Zack and Justin had dragged Tanya off to the miniature golf course while the others had stayed behind to decorate the base and cook the food. Kimberly, however, had gotten side tracked in the library working on figures for her businesses, and for the trip to Australia.

“Well, with the six grand Billy’s dad kicked in, the three Rocky had to offer up, and the eight we got between the television and radio stations, we have seventeen thousand.”

“And how much is air fare gonna cost us?” Trini inquired as the three girls pulled up chairs and sat down.

“I looked online. The best I can do is about $1360.00 per person. That’s a flat rate through Qantas Airways, for adult and child alike. With just the twelve of us going and the six kids, that comes up to $24,480.00 total for air fare,” Kim sighed, setting down her pen and looking up to face her friends. “If you subtract what we’ve already raised, that leaves about $7480.00 for us to raise in less than a month.”

The girls winced. “How the heck are we supposed to raise that much?” Katherine hopelessly asked.

Trini and Aisha shrugged or shook their heads. Kimberly on the other hand, shuffled through some papers. “Well, if we all kick in about $200.00 a piece, that gives us another $3600.00, and leaves us with about $3880.00 to come up with. We could have a couple bake sales, a couple car washes. And I have one last place to look for a donation at,” Kim told them.

“Where?” Aisha wanted to know.

“The Pan Global Martial Arts’ governing body, or possibly, Nike.”

The Turquoise, Yellow and Orange Rangers gawked at that. “NIKE?”

Kim grinned. “They were one of our sponsors for Pan Globals. I got to know the rep pretty well. I might be able to make a phone call, explain to her what’s going on.”

Aisha laughed. “Kim, girlfriend, hook us up!”

“I will. We do, however, have to have a talk with Rocky about chaperones. We aren’t going to have enough to take anyone else if I pull this off.”

“Already taken care of,” Katherine butted in. “My Uncle said both of my cousins were willing to chaperone Rocky’s students if we needed it. It’ll be a plus if they have Australian born guides while we’re there, it’ll be easier on all of us.”

“We’ve just got to get the parents to agree to that, though,” Trini reminded.

Aisha grinned again. “Rocky’s students’ parents are pretty cool. The six he’s thinking of taking are all between twelve and eighteen, and they’ve been training with him since we were in high school.”

The girls shared smiles and twinkling laughter over that. “Well, Sha, if you can sweet talk the parents, then we’re good to go,” Trini cracked.


	9. Epilogue: Friends Forever, Rangers Forever

Return Of The Great Power  
Book 2: Revelations  
Epilogue: Friends Forever, Rangers Forever  
By: Pink-Green-White-4ever  
Last Revised: March 1, 2006

"The hardest part about moving forward is not looking back!" ~Unknown~

\-- 

4:00 p.m.  
Wednesday  
September 10, 2002  
Red Ninja Martial Arts

Rocky smiled, walking around the dojo and watching his students. Ever since the team meeting, he’d pretty much known which six he was going to invite to participate in the trip.

First was his team captain, and most experienced of the six, seventeen year old Ally Malone. She had just achieved her second degree black belt status, and while she wasn’t the most experienced of his students at the dojo, he knew she’d get the point he wanted to make across to the others at the exhibition and competition, and his other students – Martial Arts involves teamwork, not just individual success. She was also one of the most unassuming people he’d ever seen, so he knew naming her captain wouldn’t go to her head.

Rocky corrected one of the students’ forms and moved on, listening to his assistant’s voice call out the sequence of moves. His second choice was Steven Times. At sixteen, Steven had just received his first degree black belt. He was a lot like Adam – shy, quiet, and had tremendous inner strength. He was also interested in teaching and always made time to work with the younger students when they were struggling with a move or element to their training. Rocky also noted he promoted the team atmosphere and mind set he wanted for the trip.

Next where the two blue belts he was thinking of taking – Chris Parker and Jennifer Ryan. Rocky couldn’t help but smile when thinking about how Jason described the pair – they were each other’s equal – the school’s strongest example of yin and yang. Chris was quiet, serious, and focused while Jennifer was loud, boisterous, and erratic, but somehow, together, they balanced each other out. Each of his assistants, as well as Jason and Adam, had remarked how much better they were together as opposed to apart, which was probably why they were becoming the dojo’s top team during competitions. Rocky had taken to teaching them Ninjitsu, and even throwing a few of the Rangers’ Ninjetti moves in, for their training. They were thriving in the new discipline, as well as excelling faster in Karate. Chris had taught Jen control, and Jen was teaching him how to speak up for himself. Their teamwork made them a valuable asset to the team going to Australia.

Last was the Martin kids – Brianna, thirteen, and a brown belt, and Marcus, twelve and a newly minted green belt. The two of them had been working extremely hard in the year they’d been with him. Neither had had a belt color when they’d joined the dojo after moving to Angel Grove, but they’d worked their way up quickly, and had even managed to skip a belt each. Rocky loved that they’d sat down and asked for extra lessons to catch up with some of their peers and friends. Rocky admired their dedication and desire to learn.

“Sensei.”

The Red Ranger smiled and took his place at the head of the class. “You did very well. Now, I’d like to take a minute and ask for your help. By now, I believe you’ve all been told about the Australia trip.” Rocky paused and waited to see that they all understood. “Ms. Hart is putting together some fund raisers for the trip, and for the school to purchase new equipment. Would each of you be willing to help out with them?”

“Yes Sensei!” the class responded enthusiastically.

“Thank you. Once plans are finalized, Ms. Hart’s going to send fliers home with you. Class dismissed.”

After bowing to Rocky, the class dispersed, chattering about the trip. Smiling, Rocky headed for his office. “Well?”

He grinned at Jason when he entered, seeing his green counterpart sitting at one of the two desks in his office. “I’ve got it narrowed down to twelve.”

“Sounds like you already know which six you want though,” Jason commented.

“Believe it or not, I have the six I’d like to take picked, but I want you guys’ opinions on them.”

Jason nodded. “Who are you looking at?”

“Ally Malone, second degree black; Steven Times, first degree black; Chris Parker and Jennifer Ryan, blue; Brianna Martin, brown; and Marcus Martin, green.”

“An eclectic mix of degrees and belts. And from seeing all of them, they personify the team theme you wanted to focus on.”

“My thoughts exactly. They’re also all comfortable with the gang, so that’s another plus.”

The Green Ranger smiled. “Did you see Angela and K.J. signed up for classes?”

Rocky nodded and began typing up some information on the class he’d just taught, making notes for lessons plans for their next session. “I did. I also think it’s a good idea, considering how close to us they are. If they at least learn some basic skills, it’ll be a load off our minds.”

“Especially Zack and Justin,” Jason quipped with a knowing grin.

“You noticed that too, huh?”

“No, Kim and Kat had to spell it out for me,” Jason sarcastically replied. “Zack and Angela have been dancing around each other since high school, this doesn’t surprise me. And K.J. seems to have tamed Justin’s hyper active ways better than anyone.”

“Tell me about it,” Rocky sighed, once again accepting that his little brother was growing up.

The two looked at each other and just grinned. “Don’t forget, dinner at our house tonight, to celebrate Tanya’s promotion.”

“Anything I need to stop and get?”

“Grab some beer and pop, if you would,” Jason asked, heading for the door.

“Sure! Later!”

\-- 

The Cranston, Scott, Oliver household  
7:35 P.M.

“Congratulations!” the team chorused, scaring Tanya right into Adam’s arms, laughing.

“Guys! You shouldn’t have!” Tanya gasped.

Aisha glared at her before grinning widely. “Just shut up and say thank you.”

“Thank you,” Tanya grinned, slinging her arms around Aisha and Kat.

Amidst the chatter, they all moved from the kitchen out onto the deck where Kim, Trini, Kat, Aisha and Rocky had set up the food. Laughter was heard ringing out, food and drinks were enjoyed, and memories were made and shared.

“I miss him,” Tanya murmured, stopping each of the Rangers in their tracks. It was never easy for any of the twelve Rangers, when a new and exciting phase in their lives started and the one person they wanted to share it most with was absent from the celebration. “It seems surreal, that we’re doing this again, that we’re all back together again, and he’s not here with us.”

Kim moved over and sat on the lounge next to the Purple Ranger. “He’d be proud of you, Tanya, never forget that. He’d also want you to be happy, not sad. Remember him, but do it with a smile, not tears,” the Pink Ranger told her friend, wrapping an arm tightly around Tanya’s shoulders.

“And just remember, he’s the one who brought us together, not once, but twice. He’s the reason we have each other to share the joys and sorrows with,” Aisha grinned.

“To Zordon, for bringing us together, and giving us the power to change our world,” Tommy toasted, the fourteen gathered raising their classes in salute to the being all but two of they had known and loved.

“To friends, love, and adventures galore!” Tanya laughed, the team toasting again.

“To Tanya, on her accomplishment,” Katherine grinned.

Kim looked thoughtful, and shared a look with each of her friends, Angela and K.J. included. “Here’s to being friends forever, and more importantly, in the spirit of it all, being Rangers forever, K.J. and Angela included.”

“Here here!”


End file.
